Assessment of Groundwater Resources of Lebanon

Assessment of
Groundwater
Resources
of Lebanon
Assessment of
Groundwater
Resources
of Lebanon
Copyright 2014
All rights reserved for MoEW and UNDP
Cover image
A view of Jabal el Sheikh with the Qaroun Lake on the right of the image
Photos courtesy of
Issam Bou Jaoude and Rena Karanouh

Karanouh
Design and layout Rena
Printed and bound in Lebanon by
Disclaimer
The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent
those of the Ministry of Energy and Water or the United Nations Development Programme or the donor. The project partners do
not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report. The boundaries, colours, denominations, and other information
shown on maps and images in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the project partners concerning the legal
status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The previously mentioned project partners do not
assume responsibility of any kind for the use that may be made of the information contained in this report.
PROJECT PARTNERS:
TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS:
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
It gives me great pleasure to present the National Groundwater Assessment project after more
than forty years since a study of similar scope was undertaken.

The rapid global and local environmental degradations, climate change, increased desertification,
population growth, and shifts in economic sectors amplify the pressure on the importance of reliable
water supply. As such, a solid national database on available water resources, water reserves and
corresponding consumption patterns become more and more critical.
The National Groundwater Assessment project for Lebanon has been made possible by a
generous grant from the Government of the Republic of Italy through the Italian Cooperation in
Beirut. The grant was managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Water. It formed a component of a larger project
underway at the Ministry, which also provides technical support on water through the creation of the
Lebanese Centre for Water Management and Conservation (LCWMC). An expert consortium of
local and international companies worked relentlessly over a period of three years to gather, analyse,
and map the data putting together this long-awaited study.

As you will read in this summary report, the scientific research carried out has resulted in redefining
the watersheds, refining the hydrogeological maps and a cutting edge surveying of the groundwater
wells. Such information is a valuable policy tool, not only for the Ministry of Energy and Water,
but also for the Lebanese Government, Water Establishments, other Ministries, Municipalities as
well as all stakeholders. The report concludes with a clear action plan to improve data collection and
management of water resources.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has worked on this study, knowing that it has been a
tedious and complicated task. As an appreciation of this work, and in order to facilitate access to the
complete data and the in-depth technical analysis, a CD containing the full study is enclosed to this
publication.

With this comprehensive study in hand, I am optimistic that both, decision-makers and citizens,
will combine efforts to manage wisely and consume responsibly this important natural resource that
our country has been blessed with.

We invite all stakeholders to continuously contribute to this report and its resulting projects.
Arthur Nazarian
Minister of Energy and Water
The karstic plateau of Jroud Akoura showing the Sahlet el Rahwe doline
LIST OF ACRONYMS
%:
ASR:
AUB:
BIA:
BMLWE:
CDR:
CESBIO:
CK:
CNRS:
DEM:
E:
ELARD:
FAO:
GIS:
GW-basin:
HKE:
Km2:
l/s:
LARI:
LCWMC:
LNMS:
LNMS:
LRA:
m:
m3/s:
MCM/year:
MCM:
MKE:
mm:
MODIS:
MoEW:
MSC:
N:
ppm:
QA/QC:
RKE:
S:
SCSCN:
TDS:
UNDP:
USJ:
W:
The Afqa spring issuing out of the entrance of Afqa cave
Percentage
Storage Recovery System
American University of Beirut
Beirut International Airport Station
Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment
Council for Development and Reconstruction
Centre Detudes Spatiale de la Biosphere
Covered Karst
National Council for Scientific Research
Digital Elevation Model
East
Earth Link & Advanced Resources Development
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Geographic Information System
Groundwater basins
High Karst Exposure
Square Kilometers
Liters per second
Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute
Lebanese Centre for Water Management and Conservation
Lebanese National Meteorological Service
Lebanese National Meteorological Service
Litani River Authority
meters
Cubic Meter per second
Million Cubic Meter per Year
Million Cubic Meters
Moderate Karst Exposure
Millimeter
Satellite Imagery
Ministry of Energy and Water
Messinian Salinity Crisis
North
Parts per Million
Quality Assurances / Quality Control
Restricted Karst Exposure
South
Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number
Total Dissolved Solids
United Nations Development Programme
Univerist Saint Joseph
West
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Lebanon has always stood out for having
relatively more water resources per capita than its
neighboring countries. This is attributed mainly
to its topography which favors moderately high
rates of precipitation (rain and snow) over its
territory. A large portion of this precipitation
infiltrates into its aquifers to become groundwater,
while the remaining portion either evaporates or
flows as surface water runoff. The groundwater
then either gets stored in the rock formations or
flows in the subsurface until it emerges back to
the surface in the form of springs or under the
sea in the form of sea springs. The groundwater
flow is controlled by the nature of the rocks and
the geological structures.
Unsustainable water resource management
practices pursued since the start of the mid
seventies, coupled with weak water governance,
have put a strain on the countrys water resources
especially on groundwater. A large number
of public and private water supply wells were
installed all over the country without proper
planning and monitoring.
Other than the the point 4 mission from
the American Bureau of Reclamation in the
early 1930s, the only comprehensive national
groundwater assessment study was completed
in 1970 by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). The study was carried
out in close collaboration with the Ministry of
Water Resources, as it was known then, during
the 1960s over a period of 9 years. One of the
main outcomes of the study was the generation
of a comprehensive nation-wide hydrogeological
VIII
map that provides a good description and

characterization of the countrys groundwater
resources. The study also highlighted potential
areas and aquifer basins where groundwater
resources were being depleted.
No other comprehensive study was
conducted at a national scale since then. However,
several smaller-scale studies were later carried out.
These were mainly local studies targeting specific
areas for groundwater development and focusing
on how to maximize groundwater exploitation,
without closely assessing the sustainability of the
groundwater resources.
The study presented in this report is
implemented by UNDP in partnership with and
on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and Water
(MoEW) and funded by the Government of
the Republic of Italy. It aims at re-assessing the
groundwater resources of the country in light
of the various studies that have been conducted
over the past 45 years, while taking into
consideration the increased exploitation of the
groundwater resources. The study was conducted
by a consortium of companies lead by Earth Link
& Advanced Resources Development (ELARD)
and included BURGEAP, IGIP and Ribeka. It
started in October 2011, and lasted for about
two and a half years.
The scope of the study consisted mainly of
data collection, desk studies and well surveys.
The data collected was analyzed for all water
life-cycle parameters and thematic maps were
generated.
All existing data and available references
such as gauging data, studies, reports, and

published papers related to geology, hydrogeology
and hydrology were collected and reviewed. This
information was obtained from various stakeholders
such as the MoEW, Council for Development and
Reconstruction (CDR), Council of the South,
Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI),
Lebanese National Meteorological Service (LNMS),
and Litani River Authority (LRA).

Additionally, a comprehensive well survey and
a one-year groundwater monitoring program were
implemented as part of this project. All primary
and secondary data gathered were integrated and
stored in a -first of its kind national database
established at the MoEW.

The study consisted of 13 main deliverables:
Deliverable 1: Inception Report
Deliverable 2: Technical Report on Public Wells
Deliverable 3: Proposed Monitoring Equipment
Specification Report
Deliverable 4: Proposed One-year Monitoring Plan
Deliverable 5: Initial Installation of a Fully
Operational Database at the MoEW
Deliverable 6: Preliminary Baseline Data
Assessment Report
Deliverable 7: Monitoring Plan Implementation
Report
Deliverable 8: Technical Report on Dedicated
Database
Deliverable 9: Data Synthesis and Basin Water
Resources Characterization
Deliverable 10: Artificial Recharge Preliminary
Assessment
Deliverable 11: Monitoring Equipment Handover
Report
Deliverable 12: 3D Groundwater Flow Modeling
Development for the Akkar Quaternary-Neogene
Basin Report.
Deliverable 13: Training Report.
A summary of the main findings pertaining

to each of the deliverables will be summarized in
the chapters that follow. For additional details,
please refer to the CD enclosed which includes the
complete deliverables.

Please refer to the enclosed CD, which includes
Deliverables 8, 9, 10 and 12 as these constitute
the most relevant results of the monitoring and
studies conducted. For additional details and

information on remaining deliverables, please
contact the Ministry of Energy and Water.
Geological and
Hydrogeological
Assessment
The geological history of Lebanon had a
major role in shaping its geomorphological fabric
and structural features that define the various
aquifers and control the groundwater flows. Two
(2) major tectonic events are documented in the
geological history of Lebanon. The first event is
the uplift in the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous
Era, which has led to the exposure, erosion and
karstification of the Jurassic limestone. The
second event is the closure of the Tethyan Sea
in the early Tertiary Period forming a collision
zone, which has led to the first gentle uplift of
Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Ranges.
Another important event took place at the end
of the Miocene Epoch known as the Messinian
Salinity Crisis where a major drop in sea level,
of about 1000 m, occurred due to the closer of
the Mediterranean Sea. This event had a major
impact on the development of deep karsts.
Moreover, the collision of the Arabian and
Asian plates during the Eocene and Oligocene
Epoch led to the shaping of the North North
East - South South West (NNE-SSW) trending
structural features.

The hydrostratigraphic units of the country
are classified into three (3) main groups: aquifers,
semi-aquifers and aquicludes. The two (2) main
aquifers are the Kesrouane Jurassic (J4) and the
Sannine-Maameltain (C4-C5) which are mainly
composed of karstic carbonate rocks. Karstic
rocks are soluble rocks where voids, caverns,
open fractures, and even caves have formed due
to weathering by aggressive water. The two (2)
aquifers are considered to be the two (2) water
towers (Chateau-Deau) of Lebanon and cover
about 5590 km2 of the Lebanese territory (i.e.,
IX
more than 50% of the countrys surface area).

The
hydrogeological
basins,
called
groundwater basins (GW-basins), were divided
based on the various hydrostratigraphic units
(i.e. aquifers, semi-aquifer and aquicludes). The
major structural geological features within the
GW-basin, its boundaries (whether surface or
subsurface) and its interaction with neighboring
basins, together control the groundwater regime
of the basin. The assessment of all these factors
along with the results of previous tracer tests and
groundwater isotope analyses has led to some repartitioning and re-delineation of the existing
GW-basins.
In the UNDP 1970 study, 32 GW-basins
(both productive and unproductive basins)
were identified and divided into two (2) main
hydrogeological provinces: the Mediterranean
Province and the Interior Province. The dividing
line between the provinces was the topographic
high points of the summits of Mount Lebanon
and Barouk-Niha ranges.
Based on the re-evaluation of GW-basins
undertaken during this study, a total of 51 GWbasins were identified; of which 28 productive
basins and three (3) unproductive basins are
located in the Mediterranean Province and 17
productive basins and three (3) unproductive
basins are in the Interior Province. An updated
map featuring the various GW-basins is presented
in Figure 1.

About 65 % of the surface area of Lebanon is
covered with carbonate karstic formations. The
identification, characterization and assessment
of the various karstic features are important
components for the overall assessment of the
groundwater resources in the country. A first of
its kind karstic map of Lebanon was developed
as part of this study. A total of four (4) types of
karstic areas were defined based on the intensity
of karstification and the types of prevailing
karstic features, such as doline, lapiaz, polji,
sinking stream and cave. These are High Karst
Figure 1 Map showing the updated GW-basins
Table 1 Number of springs in each class
CLASS
RANGE OF
DISCHARGE
NUMBER OF
SPRINGS
more than 10 m3/s
(1-10 m /s)
(0.1-1 m /s)
57
(10-100 l/s)
101
(1-10 l/s)
117
(0.1-1 l/s)
82
(10-100 cm /s)
31
(Less than 10 cm3/s)
14
Total
409
Exposure (HKE), Moderate Karst Exposure

(MKE), Restricted Karst Exposure (RKE) and
finally, the Covered Karst (CK).
The development of karst and the depth
of karstification are also linked to the various
tectonic events such as the uplift events, the
volcanic activitie, and the Messinian Salinity
Crisis (MSC). These events caused a drop in sea
level, which may have led to deeper incisions of
the water channels and consequently developed
karstification as deep as 1000 m below the
present coast line.
A total of about 5,050 springs are depicted
in the 1:20,000 topographic maps of Lebanon.
409 springs distributed throughout the GWbasins have some reliable discharge flow data.
Only nine (9) springs are currently being
monitored on a regular basis.
The spring assessment is based on
categorizing and classifying springs into types
(based on emergence mechanism) and classes
(based on discharge flow rates), in addition
to analyzing hydrographs of springs with
continuous data.
About 81 major springs, with sufficient
reliable information, were categorized into
nine (9) types. Each type is characterized
by its specific emergence mechanism which
includes a combination of spring hydrodynamic
characteristics (i.e. draining flow, overflow,
XI
artesian, or a combination of two of these flow

types) and geological controlling features (i.e.
structural and stratigraphic control/barriers).
The categorization of these 81 springs into types
is provided in Plate 2 at the end of this report.
The classification of 409 springs with
relatively reliable data is based on Meinzer (1923)
which categorizes springs according to their
discharge magnitude. The minimum average
discharge rates of the springs were used for the
classification of the. The number of springs in
each class is provided in Table 1. Most likely, the
majority of the remaining springs (i.e. with no
data) would belong to class 5 and below.
For the hydrograph analysis, the method
used to analyze the base flow relies on the
assessment of the recession behavior representing
saturated and non-saturated zones. A total of 45
springs were initially assessed but only 16 springs
in 9 different GW-basins had reliable data. The
result of these studies showed that all aquifers
have similar recession coefficient ranges which,
are indicative of the karstic nature of the aquifer.
The lower ranges of coefficients obtained in this
study are similar to those reported in the UNDP
study of 1970. The higher ranges are attributed
to the rapid emptying of the aquifer, mostly due
to induced human factors.
The assessment of groundwater levels in
the various basins, gathered during the one-year
monitoring program, shows that groundwater
levels rapidly respond to rainfall events,
within hours or days, with a rapid increase in
groundwater levels of 2 to 12m. Correlation
between groundwater level data from this study
and those from the UNDP study of 1970
is established in 12 of these basins. In the
Mediterranean Province, most of the interior
GW-basins that are not in direct contact with the
sea show a decrease in groundwater level mainly
due to the over-exploitation of the aquifers. In Sir
ed Dannieh Ain Yaacoub Basin (Basin 13), the
drop was about 27 m. However, the coastal GW-
XII
taken into account in the UNDP 1970 study

was evaluated using satellite imagery (MODIS).
Variations in snow coverage combined with land
measurements to determine snow thickness and
density over three (3) months (January, February
and March) for the four (4) hydrological
cycles (2008 to 2012) was used. The yearly
water equivalent volumes estimated using this
technique range between 1,815 and 2,567
MCM.
The estimated yearly surface runoff for the
four (4) hydrological cycles, which does not
account for the portion that comes from the
discharge of the various springs, varies between
2,151 and 3,807 MCM.
Recharge to groundwater is subsequently
calculated as the excess of precipitation over
real evapotranspiration and surface runoff. The
estimated volumes, which includes both deep
percolation and retention in the vadose zone for
the four hydrological cycles, vary from 4,116 to
6,651 MCM with an average of about 55 % of
the total precipitation.
basins show almost similar groundwater levels as

in the 1970 study. The explanation is that the
pumped water is being directly compensated by
seawater intrusion.
With the exception of just one GW-basin,
most of the basins monitored in the Interior
Province show a significant decrease in the
groundwater levels (from the 1970 levels). Again,
this is attributed to the over exploitation from
the aquifers. A drop of about 20m is observed in
the Litani area in the Southern Bekaa NeogeneQuaternary Basin (Basin 11a).
The hydro-chemical characteristics of
the majority of the GW-basins in the interior
provinces belong to the carbonate facies with
relatively low salt content. This is typical of
the karstic nature of the aquifers that has a low
retention time; where groundwater flows rapidly.
The GW-basins of the coastal provinces that
are not directly in contact with the sea show
similar facies of carbonate type. Those basins
that are in contact with the sea exhibit facies of
Sodium-Chloride types which, are indicative of
groundwater mixing with sea water. Seawater
intrusion in these basins appears to be more
pronounced than what it was in the 1970s.
Water Budget
The groundwater balance is the difference
between water recharge and discharge. The
recharge (water inflow) includes natural
infiltration from rainfall and snowmelt; return
flows from irrigation, domestic, industrial and
touristic water usages as well as from losses in the
water supply network; and groundwater gains
from neighboring basins/aquifer. The discharge
(water outflow) includes groundwater usage for
irrigation, domestic, industrial and tourism;
groundwater losses to the sea; natural discharge
of springs and losses to neighboring basins
outside the Lebanese territories.
These components of the budget were
assessed for only two hydrological cycles; a dry
(2010-2011) cycle and a wet (2011-2012) cycle.
They are assembled in a model that was developed
to allow for updates and analyses whenever more
Hydrological
Assessment

The hydrology study provides an evaluation of
precipitation (rain and snow), evapotranspiration
and runoff to estimate natural recharge rates for
the country. Due to the limited quality and
availability of data, only four (4) hydrological
cycles (2008 to 2012) could be used. The data
was collected from various monitoring stations
distributed all over Lebanon. For these four (4)
hydrological cycles, the estimated volume of rain
per year ranges between 6,015 and 9,365 million
cubic meters (MCM). The estimated yearly
volume of evapotranspiration was estimated to
fluctuate between 1,563 and 1,475 MCM.
Snow water equivalent which, was not
reliable data, such as data related to groundwater

gains and losses and more accurate data on spring
discharge, become available.
At country level, recharge varies between
4,728 and 7,263 MCM. The discharge is
estimated to be around 2,588 MCM. Therefore,
the water balance in the budget is estimated
to vary from 2,140 MCM for the dry year
(2010/2011) to 4,675 MCM for the wet year
(2011/2012). These estimates do not account
for losses to the sea and deep percolation.

Although there is an overall surplus in water
budgets at the national level, it is critical to note
that most of the coastal GW-basins which are
heavily urbanized show significant deficiencies in
the water balance. In some basins such as the
North Lebanon Cretaceous Basin (Basin 18),
water shortages can reach more than 150 MCM
per year in dry years. Other key basins showing
shortages include Hadath-Hazmieh Cretaceous
Basin (Basin 22) with a deficiency of 7.2 MCM,
and Beirut Neogene Quaternary Basin (Basin
26a) with a deficiency of 38.4 MCM.

On the other hand, due to over exploitation
for irrigation, the South Bekaa NeogeneQuaternary Basin (Basin 11a) and the North
Bekaa Neogene Quaternary Basins (Basin 11b),
show deficiencies in their budgets of up to 45.7
MCM and 34.2 MCM respectively.
A map showing the stressed aquifers
is provided in Figure 2. A large-scale
Hydrogeological map of the entire country,
which is provided in Plate 1 at the end of the
report, presents all the GW-basins along with
some of their characteristics.
Proposed Artificial
Recharge Scheme
Artificial groundwater recharge, which
consists of replenishing the aquifer with surplus
or reclaimed water, is an up-and-coming practice
both globally and in the region. In general, an
artificial aquifer recharge system is installed either
XIII
to mitigate seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers

that are being over-exploited or to store surplus
water in the aquifer for subsequent recovery
during dry seasons. The latter process is called
Aquifer Storage Recovery System (ASR).
The limited storage capacity of the main
aquifers in Lebanon is attributed to their karstic
nature. Groundwater tends to flow along welldeveloped karstic underground channels at
relatively high velocity, thus making storage
difficult. However, artificial recharge in the
up-gradient areas of the aquifer would still be
beneficial. It will replenish the aquifer with
a surplus of water that will delay/retard the
beginning of the dry season, and shorten its
period where groundwater is usually at its
lowest level, and when the aquifer is subject to
overexploitation, especially in the coastal areas,
which are heavily urbanized.
In this study, potential areas for artificial
recharge were assessed. The main sources for
artificial recharge are natural sources (rivers and
springs) and treated wastewater effluent. In
total, 22 natural sources and ten (10) wastewater
treatment plants distributed over 12 GWbasins were considered as potentially viable
sources for artificial recharge. The GW-basins
were selected according to the following main
criteria: 1) basins under stress from depletion
or saltwater intrusion; 2) basins that have the
capacity to store the recharged water; and 3)
areas where depth to groundwater is relatively
deep to account for the potential mound (rise
in groundwater level) that may result during
recharge, and may potentially cause flooding if
groundwater rises to the surface. The selection
of these sites is preliminary. Further assessments
would be required for detailed hydrogeological
characterization and to confirm the adequacy of
these sites for groundwater recharge.

In areas where the recharge is from the natural
sources (rivers and springs), the aquifer recharge
spans over a four (4) to five (5) month period
Figure 2 Map showing the stressed aquifers
XIV
during the wet season. The recharge quantities

to be extracted from the source is proposed to
be between 5% and 10% of the average flow of
the natural source during the extraction period.
The estimated volume of recharged water from
natural sources is between 104 and 208 MCM/
year.
In areas where the source of recharge is
treated wastewater, groundwater recharge will be
conducted throughout the entire year. From the
ten (10) selected sites, the estimated amount of
recharged water is between 103 and 118 MCM/
year.
The total maximum available recharge that
was estimated for the 33 sites, identified as part
of this project, ranges between 207 MCM to 326
MCM/year. These estimates are in line with the
figure presented in the 2010 Water Strategy of
the MoEW (199 MCM/year).
In this preliminary assessment, gravity
injection through wells is the proposed recharge
technique. This method is considered the most
suitable for recharge into karstic aquifer taking
into account cost efficiency and environmental
considerations. The injection wells can be
installed in public property given the limited
requirements of land.
Recommendation for
the Enhancement of the
Monitoring Network
The groundwater assessment revealed
numerous deficiencies in the existing monitoring
systems of the country.
The proposed
interventions presented below aim at improving
the existing water resources monitoring system
in Lebanon. An upgrade is needed to better
quantify available resources - a necessity for the
sustainable management of water resources in
Lebanon.
XV
Groundwater Monitoring
Establishing a Dedicated Monitoring Well
Network: The initial phase would consist of
installing about 60 dedicated monitoring wells
with a focus on the stressed aquifers. These
wells should be equipped with continuous
monitoring devices to measure the groundwater
levels and in some cases, with conductivity
sensors in areas that are prone to seawater
intrusion. This activity should be carried by the
MoEW.
Monitoring of the Public Water Supply Wells:
Out of the 842 public water supply wells,
only 20 wells were equipped with continuous
groundwater monitoring devices. It is proposed
that water establishments equip all their wells
with a discharge flow control monitoring system
and continuous groundwater-level monitoring
devices. Monitoring devices for those wells
located in areas prone to sea water intrusion
(about 250 wells), should include a conductivity
sensor.
Developing a Database for each of the Water
Establishments: It is proposed that each water
establishment maintains its own monitoring
database. This would require the development
of a formal data collection system with a quality
assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program
for uploading the data into the database. A
proper procedure should be established for the
regular reporting of information/data in digital
format from the database of the various water
establishments to that of the MoEW.
Surveying the Unlicensed Private Wells: It
is recommended to conduct a comprehensive
survey of the unlicensed private wells and to
complete the survey of private wells that have
exploitation permits. Survey results can then
be integrated into the existing well database
that was constructed as part of this project.
Due to the extensive number of wells, and the
tedious investigative nature of the work, it would

take approximately one (1) to two (2) years to
complete.
Preparing a Master Plan for the Monitoring

of the Major Springs in the Country: The master
plan should include the identification of the major
springs that would require continuous monitoring,
and those that should be measured on periodical
bases. It should also include technical
specifications and guidelines for the installation of
the gauging stations, including site preparations/
civil construction work (if any), and QA/QC
procedure for data collection and data validation.
This activity should be carried out by the MoEW,
in collaboration with the LRA.
River Monitoring
Preparing a Detailed Plan for the Rehabilitation
and Expansion of the Existing Network: This
would include: 1) inspecting of all the gauging
stations; 2) providing recommendations
for locations of new gauging stations, and
modification of existing ones if necessary; 3)
preparing technical specification and guidelines
for the installation of the various types of gauging
stations to be installed; and 4) preparing an
operational and maintenance manual to ensure
the continuous acquisition of reliable data.
Meteorological Network
Preparing a Master Plan for the Improvement
of the Existing Meteorological Network: The
number of stations required and their respective
locations should be determined following
international criteria taking into account the
different microclimates and the hypsometry of the
Lebanese territory. Generally, two (2) climatic
stations are required for every 200 km2. The
master plan should include: 1) an assessment
of existing station and the identification of
the location of proposed new stations; 2) the
Implementation of the Plan for the

Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Existing
Network: Preliminary assessments reveal that the
minimum total number of proposed new stations
needed is about 26.
Updating and Improving the Existing Database
at LRA: This would include incorporating all the
existing data that is currently being gathered
manually into the database and establishing a
quality assurance control / quality assurance
system.
Spring Monitoring
Conducting a Nationwide Spring Survey:
Field proofing of the 5,050 springs identified in
the topographic map will have to be done. For
each spring the exact geographical coordinates
should be taken, along with picture. The
emergence mechanism should also be described.
Approximate discharge flow rates should be
measured and spring usage identified. Particular
focus should be made on the 409 main springs
that were identified in this study. This activity
should be conducted by MoEW.
The karst of the Jurassic rocks of the Jaj plateau, North Lebanon (Note the human scale in the middle of the image)
XVI
XVII
preparation of technical specifications for the

installation of the equipment (required civil work
and instruments; and 3) Develop quality control /
quality assurances (QA/QC) procedures for data
acquisition, data reductions and data reporting,
as wells calibration requirements.
Installing the New Meteorological Stations:
Based on a preliminary assessment, the total
number of required new stations is 89 of which
20 are snow stations.
Recovering and Processing the Historical Data:
Based on the review of the hydrometrical data,
historical data collected before 1975 have not
been integrated into the existing database: This
intervention would mainly consist of digitizing
data collected before 1975; and integrating those
into the existing database.
Developing coordination procedures between

the various stakeholders;
Identifying training programs to strengthen the
capacity of the organisations/services;
Defining procedures for data dissemination and
access control;
Revising or developing procedures for the
control of water extractions, such as drilling
permits, groundwater extraction permits, and
surface water allocation permits; and
Preparing annual cost estimates for the
operation and maintenance of the monitoring
systems.
Legal and Institutional

Assessment Study

The legal and institutional framework of the
government services involved in the monitoring
(groundwater, surface water, and meteorology)
will have to be revised and their resources will
have to be strengthened in order to allow these
government services to properly accomplish their
assigned mission. The study should include:
Conducting a gap assessment on the existing
institutional and legal framework work, of the
government organisations/services involved in the
specific monitoring;
Proposing a road-map and drafting legislative
texts to re-define missions and mandates,
avoid overlaps and clarify attributed roles and
responsibilities;
Adjusting organisational structures, assessing
staff requirements, defining and developing
individual job descriptions and performance
requirements for each staff category;
Snow cover in the Lebanese mountains
XVIII
XIX
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

LIST OF ACRONYMS
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... VIII

Hydrological Assessment.........................................................................................................XII
Water Budget...........................................................................................................................XIII
Recommendation for the Enhancement of the Monitoring Network.........................................XV
Groundwater Monitoring..........................................................................................................XV
River Monitoring......................................................................................................................XVI
Spring Monitoring....................................................................................................................XVI
Meteorological Network...........................................................................................................XVII
Legal and Institutional Assessment Study...............................................................................XVII
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................................. 20
LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................................... 22
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................... 24
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 27
1.1 BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................27
1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY.....................................................................................................27
2. ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING DATA ....................................................................................... 29
2.1 METEOROLOGICAL DATA.................................................................................................29
2.2 SURFACE WATER DATA...................................................................................................30
2.3 SPRING DATA..................................................................................................................33
3. WELLS SURVEY....................................................................................................................... 36
3.1 PUBLIC WELLS.................................................................................................................36
3.2 PRIVATE WELLS ...............................................................................................................36
4. MONITORING CAMPAIGN...................................................................................................... 39
5. DATABASE CONSTRUCTION.................................................................................................. 41
6. HYDROGEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT....................................................................................... 42
6.1 GEOLOGICAL AND HYDROGEOLOGICAL SETTING.............................................................42
6.2 GROUNDWATER BASINS BOUNDARIES & GEOLOGY.......................................................44
6.3 KARST...............................................................................................................................48
6.4 SPRINGS ASSESSMENT...................................................................................................54
6.5 GROUNDWATER LEVEL.....................................................................................................54
6.6 HYDRO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION..........................................................................62
6.7 HYDROLOGY......................................................................................................................67
6.8 WATER BUDGET...............................................................................................................70
7. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE................................................... 80
The underground river of the Rahwe cave as seen in the main axis which emerges as the Rahwe spring
8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE MONITORING NETWORK........... 80

8.1 GROUNDWATER MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................85
8.2 RIVER MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................85
8.3 SPRING MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................86
8.4 METEOROLOGICAL NETWORK RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................86
8.5 LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT STUDY.........................................................87
Figure 4-1 Map showing the distribution of wells that were monitored...........................................40
LIST OF
FIGURES
The Chamsine spring
Figure 1 Map showing the updated GW-basins...............................................................................X

Figure 2 Map showing the stressed aquifers...................................................................................XIV
2. ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING DATA ....................................................................................... 29
Figure 2-1 Spatial distribution of stations and length of records......................................................32
Figure 2-2 Map showing the UNDP (1970) springs identified on the 1:200,000 map in reference
to their classes (ND: not defined)....................................................................................34
Figure 2.3 Map showing the springs of Lebanon identified from the 1:20,000 topographic map.....35
3. WELLS SURVEY....................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 3-1 Map of Lebanon with statistics on public wells distribution and extraction rates...........37
Figure 3-2 Pie chart that shows the distribution of private licensed wells in the different
operational areas of the water establishments in Lebanon.............................................38
5. DATABASE CONSTRUCTION.................................................................................................. 41
Figure 5-1 Snapshot from GW-Base of the public wells (with locations and Information),
overlaid on 1:50,000 topographic maps........................................................................41
Figure 5-2 Snapshot from GW-Base showing the station data and editing windows.....................42
Figure 6-1 Simplified stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Lebanon............................................43
Figure 6-2 Major geological structural features of Lebanon...........................................................45
Figure 6-3 Groups of secondary faults of Lebanon.........................................................................46
Figure 6-4 Groundwater basin map of Lebanon, as presented by the UNDP (1970).......................47
Figure 6-5 Map showing the modified GW-basin...........................................................................49
Figure 6-6 Distribution of the GW-basins and unproductive zones in Lebanon...............................53
Figure 6-7 Karstic map of Lebanon.................................................................................................51
Figure 6-8 Location of springs........................................................................................................57
Figure 6-9 Summary map of wells with groundwater level information.........................................59
Figure 6-10 Groundwater table contour map for the Akkar Neogene-Quaternary Basin generated
from February 2013 data set (blue) compared to February 1967 data sets (in Red), from
UNDP 1970...................................................................................................................61
Figure 6-11 Groundwater table contour map in the Akkar Neogene-Quaternary Basin for
February 2013 data set (Blue), compared to February 1969 data set (in green)
obtained from FAO (1970).............................................................................................63
Figure 6-12 Location of the monitored wells from the Ground Water Modelling in the Upper
Litani Basin with the generated contour lines for November 2010 (in Blue), compared to
February 1967 contour lines (in Red), from UNDP 1970................................................64
Figure 6-13 Sub-watersheds according to Plassards (1972) rain map............................................66
Figure 6-14 Average precipitation values in relation to average snow water equivalent for
hydrological cycles 2008 to 2012.................................................................................68
Figure 6-15 Annual precipitation 2008-2009....................................................................................69
Figure 6-19 Schematic diagram of the model devised specifically for the groundwater budget
of Lebanon....................................................................................................................71
Figure 6-20 Stressed aquifers / GWB...............................................................................................77
Figure 7-1 Location of the proposed areas for artificial recharge from natural sources and from
wastewater effluent overlaid over the GW-basins..........................................................89
Figure 7-2 Location of the proposed areas for artificial recharge from natural sources and from
wastewater effluent overlaid over the GW-basins under stress......................................91
Table 1 Number of springs in each class............................................................................................XI
LIST OF
TABLES
3. WELLS SURVEY....................................................................................................................... 36
Table 3-1 Summary table of public wells in Lebanon........................................................................36
Table 3-2 Comparison of the number of illegal wells between Mediterranean countries..................38
Table 4.1 Comparison of collected data between water levels of the years 2012/2013 and
2013/2014........................................................................................................................39
Table 6-1 Types of karst and their distribution according to GW-basins.........................................48
Table 6-2 Table showing the number of spring with data in each class (Meinzer Classification)
compared with the UNDP 1970 with an example for each spring type...........................55
Table 6-3 Springs flows and recession coefficients........................................................................56
Table 6-4 Table outlining the groundwater basins with the number of samples used for the
assessment of the hydrochemical facies of each basin..................................................65
Table 6-5 Rainfall all over the Lebanese territory from 2008 to 2012..............................................68
Table 6-6 Snow water equivalent in MCM estimated from 2008-2009 to 2011-2012....................68
Table 6-7 Total precipitation (rainfall and snow) all over the Lebanese territory from 2008
to 2012...........................................................................................................................68
Table 6-8 RET from 2008 to 2012 using Turk method.....................................................................70
Table 6-9 Calculated runoff from 2008 to 2012..............................................................................70
Table 6-10 Estimated recharge to groundwater from 2008 to 2012.................................................70
Table 6-11 Average precipitation, recharge to groundwater, runoff and real evapotranspiration
for the Lebanese territory (2008-2012)...........................................................................70
Table 6-12 Data sources of the various components of the preliminary Groundwater budget
(GW-budget)...................................................................................................................72
Table 6-13 Results and discussion of GW-basins of the Mediterranean Province............................73
Table 6-14 Results and discussion of GW-basin of the Interior Province..........................................75
Table 6-15 Preliminary GW budget of Lebanon................................................................................79
Table 6-16 Comparison of water balance estimations......................................................................79
Table 7-1 Proposed candidate sites utilizing surface water as a source for recharge......................81
Table 7-2 Estimated ranges of volumes of water available for recharge in each candidate sites
utilizing a surface water source.......................................................................................82
Table 7-3 Proposed candidate sites utilizing treated effluent water as a source for recharge..........83
Table 7-4 Selected waste water treatment plants where effluent would be used for
artificial recharge.............................................................................................................83
Table 7-5 Volumes of potentially recharged water in each GW-basin compared to infiltrated
volume.............................................................................................................................84
Karst features in the Jaj plateau
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Balloua Baatara sinking stream in Tannourine
26
There is a common misconception that

Lebanon, with a surface area of about 10,452
km2, and moderate average rainfall, has an
abundant supply of renewable water resources.
Unsustainable water resource management
practices that have been followed since the mid
nineteen seventies, coupled with weak water
governance, have put a strain on the countrys
water resources, specifically on its groundwater.
Growing water demand as a result
of increasing population has been met by
overexploitation of the countrys groundwater
resources. A large number of public and private
water supply wells have been installed without
proper planning and monitoring.
The majority of private wells are illicit; they were
installed without a drilling permit. Most of the
remaining private wells, although legal, do not
have exploitation permits and have unreliable
records. Information about these wells such as
well design, well usage, and exploitation rates
are missing. This uncontrolled groundwater
withdrawal practice, together with the lack of
adequate studies and monitoring has led to
the continuous depletion of the groundwater
resources in various areas of the country.
After the point four (4) mission from
the American Bureau of Reclamation in the
early 1930s, the only comprehensive national
groundwater assessment study was completed in
1970 by UNDP. The study was carried out, in
close collaboration with the Ministry of Water
Resources, during the 1960s over a period of
nine (9) years.
One of the main outcomes of the study
was the generation of a comprehensive nationwide hydrogeological map that provides a
good description/characterization of the
country groundwater resources. The study also
flagged aquifer basins where the groundwater
resources were being depleted. It provided

recommendations for potential basin/areas
where further groundwater development could
be entertained, provided proper investigation
and resource assessment is conducted.

Since then, no other comprehensive studies
were conducted at a national scale. However,
numerous smaller-scale studies were subsequently
carried out, on behalf of the MoEW and other
stakeholders. Many of these studies were local,
targeting specific areas for further groundwater
development, and focusing on how to maximize
groundwater exploitation, without considering
the sustainability of groundwater resources.

Very few studies, if any, have been conducted
for the purpose of a comprehensive assessment
of the entire water resources of a specific region,
area, or basin. Other interesting smallerscale but valuable studies were carried out by
academics and researchers. Most of these studies
were carried out with limited data collection, if
any. This was mostly due to time and budget
constraints.
1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The current project is implemented by
the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) in partnership with and on behalf of
the Ministry of Energy and Water with funding
for the Government of the Republic of Italy. The
project was implemented through the UNDPled Lebanese Centre for Water Management
and Conservation (LCWMC). The technical
consortium of companies that executed the
study was led by Earth Link & Advanced
Resources Development (ELARD) and included
BURGEAP, IGIP and Ribeka. The study started
in middle October 2011, and, spanned for about
two and a half years.
A multidisciplinary team of key experts
was
mobilized
comprising
geologists,
hydrogeologists, hydrologists, integrated water
resource management experts, groundwater
Assessment of Groundwater Resources of Lebanon
27
modelers, GIS and database experts. The project collection, desk studies and well surveys. The
data collected was analysed for all water life-cycle
technical team members are listed below:
parameters and thematic maps were generated.
Ziad Khayat (UNDP)
Project Manager
All existing data and available references
such as gauging data, studies, reports, and
Ramez Kayal (ELARD)
Project Manager, Principal Hydrogeologist
published papers related to geology, hydrogeology
and hydrology were collected and reviewed
Dominique Fougeirol (BURGEAP
Peer Reviewer (QA/QC)
(Deliverable 6a).
Issam Bou Jaoude (ELARD)
In an attempt to reduce (to the extent
Deputy Project Manager, Senior Hydrogeologist
possible) the size of data gap, which is always
Dr. Farid Karam (ELARD)
a limitation when conducting comprehensive
Co-Deputy Project Manager, Senior Hydrologist
water studies, a comprehensive well survey and a
Eric Berger (RIBEKA)
one-year groundwater monitoring program were
Team Leader, Senior Database Expert
implemented as part of this project (Deliverables
Dr. Levant Tezcan (ELARD)
2, 6b and 7).
Senior Hydrogeologist
All primary and secondary data gathered
Dr. Mehmet Ekmekci (ELARD)
were integrated and stored in a -first of its
kind- national database which was setup at the
Fadi Merheb (BURGEAP)
Senior Hydrogeologist, GW Modeler
MoEW/LCWMC after running several rounds
of quality assurance and consistency checks on
Dr. Wajdi Najm (ELARD Consultant)
Senior Hydrologist
it(Deliverables 5 and 8).
Understanding water bearing and non Rachad Ghanem (ELARD)
Senior Geologist, Database Expert
bearing rock units in terms of nature and
David Balmert (RIBEKA)
composition was crucial for initiating the overall
Software Engineer, Hydrogeologist
hydrogeological assessment. A detailed review of
Dr. Chadi Abdullah (ELARD Consultant)
the geological context of Lebanon is presented
GIS and RS Expert
in Deliverable 9, Appendix 1. All geological
Dr. Joanna Doummar (ELARD Consultant)
formations are described and classified in terms
Senior Hydrogeologist, GW Modeler
of their hydrostratigraphic significance. The
Georges Makhoul (ELARD)
structural features (faults and folds) are also
discussed.
Dr. Marie Therese Abi Saab (ELARD
Water bearing units GW-basins may
Consultant) Agriculture and Irrigation Expert
exist in isolation or in juxtaposition with
Bilal Idriss (ELARD)
Hydrogeologist
other basins. The structure of a GW-basin, its
boundaries (whether surface or subsurface) and
Basma Shamas, Amani Matar, Tarek el
Mashtoub, Shafiq Ghraizi (ELARD)
its interaction with neighboring basins as well as
Geologist
neighboring or cross-cutting structural features
Mahmoud Taleb (ELARD)
govern the groundwater flow within it and into
Field Survey Coordinator
and out of it. Such an assessment, which has
Stephanie Douaihy (ELARD)
been carried out, led to some re-partitioning
Environmentalist
and re-delineation of the existing GW-basins as
The scope of the study consisted mainly of presented in Deliverable 9, Appendix 2. Karstic
conducting a number of keys tasks including data features were mapped and typed. These are
28
found in Deliverable 9, Appendix 3.

An assessment of the various springs of
Lebanon is presented in Deliverable 9, Appendix
5, whereby a new classification of the springs
of the country based on type of emergence, is
provided. Areas and/or GW-basins that are
subject to groundwater stress or depletion are
highlighted in chapter Deliverable 9, Appendix
6, which tackles groundwater elevation in
specific basins. Hydrochemical parameters
of the GW-basins in the Mediterranean and
Interior Provinces are provided in Deliverable
9, Appendix 8. Hydrological parameters are
assessed individually in Deliverable 9, Appendix
9 leading to the generation of an overall, and
basin-by-basin water budget which is presented
in Deliverable 9, Appendix 10. Assessment of
potential areas for artificial recharge is presented
in Deliverable 10.
A summary of the historical tracer tests
conducted throughout the country is provided in
Deliverable 9, Appendix 4. The limited available
groundwater isotope studies, which were
assessed, and synthesized, along with the results
of some groundwater isotope samples data that
were collected by the consulting team during
the project (at its own initiative) are presented in
Deliverable 9, Appendix 7.
A 3D groundwater flow model was
developed for the Akkar Quaternary-Neogen
Basin and is presented in Deliverable 12.
2. ASSESSMENT OF
EXISTING DATA
Throughout the first phase of the project,
relevant studies, reports, maps and technical
notes were gathered, compiled and reviewed by
the project team. These documents were gathered
from various sources mainly from the MoEW,
Council for Development and Reconstruction
(CDR), Council of the South, National
Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), water
establishments, Lebanese Agricultural Institute

(LARI), Lebanese National Meteorological
Service (LNMS), Litani River Authority (LRA)
as well as from international organizations,
universities, and engineering consulting firms.
Pertinent information/data was extracted from
these documents to be assessed and then used in
the investigation.

One of the main requirements of the project
is to assess the quality of this hydrological and
metrological data being collected by various
institutions as part of their existing monitoring
program.
2.1 METEOROLOGICAL DATA

Several public, semi-public, academic and
private establishments collect meteorological
data in Lebanon, each operating one or more
stations. Although the LNMS at the Civil
Aviation General Directorate that belongs to the
Ministry of Transportation and Public Works
is officially the national agency responsible for
meteorological measurements, other institutions
guided by their needs for reliable climatic data to
achieve their missions, have installed their own
networks of stations, including LARI, which
currently has the widest coverage.
Stations differ in their locations, the
parameters and frequency of measurements and
the quality of the data being measured. There are
two (2) distinctive periods in the measurements
of climatic data: the period before the Lebanese
Civil War (i.e. Before 1975); and the period after
the end of the Lebanese Civil War (i.e. After
1990).
The meteorological data received from the
various institutions were processed to determine
complete annual series only. In the first stage,
the daily data series were processed to filter out
the months that have missing daily data, with
the exception of the three summer months,
given that their contributions, if any, would be
negligible, and therefore would not significantly
29
affect the cumulative seasonal and monthly

averages. Monthly averages were then calculated.
The second stage consisted of filtering out the
hydrologic seasons, which have missing months,
and subsequently calculating yearly cumulative
precipitation values. Yearly average precipitation
levels were then calculated, along with the
number of years retained for each station.
In 2002, the LNMS introduced a new quality
control system that was integrated into a
software package called DONE. This allowed
the adjustment and reproduction of precipitation
average values for all available years for every
station.
Adjustments were made according to the
Beirut International Airport Station (BIA)
averages taken for the same period by assigning
adjustment coefficients, based on linear
correction between the average of the BIA and
the average of the station. It should be noted
that these calculated averages are not completely
representative given that usually data series
spanning over a longer period are required to
calculate reliable averages. Given that LARIs
data span over a short period, yearly precipitation
averages are meaningless. Therefore, cumulative
yearly precipitation averages were calculated
only.

The main gap in time series of meteorological
data is attributed to the interruption caused by
the civil war in Lebanon, (1975 and 1990), which
resulted in the destruction of the majority of
climatological stations and halted measurement
activities all over Lebanon, especially at the
historical Ksara observatory station and at the
AUB station that was considered a reference
station for the period preceding the war.

The relocation of stations sites has worsened
the problem especially for the airport station that
could have served as a reference station and filled
the gap caused by the interruption of AUB and
Ksara stations. The airport station was displaced
several times from different places, starting with
30
Manara (1931-1936) to the old airport location

in Bir Hassan (1939-1953) and to several points
in the existing airport (Terminal near tower on
Terrace (1954-1963), near radio-orient to the
south of the landing strip (1964-1982) and to
the main terminal (1982-present)).

In addition, a lot of the data registered were
either lost or disappeared from the national
archive of the LNMS. A major limitation of the
existing and previous meteorological networks
is the lack of stations capable of collecting
information on snow. The precipitation maps
of the Climatic Atlas, published by the LNMS
in 1972 under the management of Pere Plassard,
did not account for the snow equivalent, given
that no data were collected in this regard.
Snow is believed to play a crucial role in
contributing to the recharge of the surface and
groundwater resources of Lebanon. It is estimated
that snow covers about a quarter of the Lebanese
territory during the wet season. Accurate
volume quantification of snow and/or its water
equivalent has not been established to date. This
is attributed to the limited (if not absent) field
measurements of snow depth through time and
the lack of studies and researches addressing the
topic.
Recently (winter 2011-2012), the National
Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) in
cooperation with the Centre Detudes Spatiale
de la Biosphere (CESBIO) in France and
Univerist Saint Joseph (USJ), installed two
(2) meteorological stations for measuring and
monitoring snow depth. These two (2) stations
are the first of their kind in Lebanon and are
located in the region of Faraya: one at an altitude
of 1,560 m above sea level (asl) and the other
at 2,400 m asl. The stations records are still
unpublished and therefore are not available.
2.2 SURFACE WATER DATA

Water levels and discharges in rivers were
measured in Lebanon by the point 4 mission from
the American Bureau of reclamation since the

early 1930s. Since 1965, these activities became
the responsibility of the Litani River Authority
(LRA) who managed 81 gauging stations of
which 75 hydrological stations were installed
and operated prior to 1970s in addition to
several flow measurement sites mainly at springs
(some other sources mention the existence of 87
stations). The UNDP study of 1970 included
regular flow measurements of major rivers.
Gauging activities stopped during the civil war.
It resumed in early 1990 when 20 stations were
partially rehabilitated. The number rose to 58
in 1998 with the renovation of equipment of 38
other stations.

The flow data was acquired from the Litani
River Authority through the Ministry of Energy
and Water. The data received do not represent
all available data knowing that for the Orontos
River, for example, discussions between Lebanon
and Syria were based on a 50 years average of flow
while data covering only 18 years was received.
This created a major drawback/limitation in data
analysis and extracting the averages. All major
watershed basins are being gauged. However,
some rivers are not measured at the right locations,
such as at the confluent point of different major
effluents or upstream and downstream of several
major feeding sources.
Hydrological observation data are missing
during a period of 15 years, between 1975
to 1990. Some basic data quality control
was undertaken during the development of a
computer based-archive of the pre-1974 daily
mean flows, created in the early 1980s, in the
context of an FAO project. Even for the initial
10-year immediate period after the civil war
(between 1991 and 2000), available data are
somewhat scattered depending on the stations.
About one third of the area of Lebanon is not
yet covered by hydrological observation system
(Figure 2-1). It is therefore recommended to setup program for the installation of hydrogeological
observation stations.

By combining the data received from pre-war
stations and those that are currently in operation,
average flow volumes and discharge flows were
calculated, first taking the pre-war data and the
post-war data individually into consideration then
all the data together.
In general, the main problems affecting
the quality of hydrometric series values are the
following:
Gauging series are not published leading to
compromised data quality..
Some rivers have several calibration curves per
year for the same station and many rivers overflow
their banks during flood events.
Many stations are located at the mouth of rivers
or downstream of tributaries and therefore do not
account for irrigation intakes and inflows of water.
An example is the location of the gauging station
at the mouth of the Awali River. A significant flow
of water, discharging into the river, is supplied
from the Litani River/Quaroun Lake via a tunnel to
operate three (3) hydroelectric plants located along
the Awali River just upstream of the gauging station.
An additional station should be located upstream of
the three (3) power plants in order to estimate the
inflow of water from the Quaroun Lake.
No measuring stations exist at the mouth of
several rivers;therefore, the recorded volumes do
not represent those of the entire basin.
There are hidden losses attributed to seepages,
which cannot be taken into account (analyse des
Strategies et Prospectives de lEau au Liban rapport I: Monographies de leau au Liban, Katafago
et Jaber).
In the many steep, responsive catchments in
Lebanon, the calibration of the flood range of
stage-discharge relationships is made difficult by
the frequent changes in bed profile, attributed to
the torrential flows with high debris load, causing
extensive weathering, and sediment accumulation
During the dry season, the prevailing shallow
water depths and very slow water velocities,
together with the impact of irrigation demands
and other disturbances to the natural regime, limit
the accuracy and representativeness of low flow
measurements.
31
2.3
Figure 2-1 Spatial distribution of stations and length of records
32
SPRING DATA
The inventory of the springs was done

through a comprehensive review of available
information, such as topographic maps and
UNDPs hydrogeological map of 1/200,000 scale
(Figure 2-2). Initially the springs were depicted
from the topographic maps at a scale of 1/20,000
(Figure 2-3) and supplemented by the 1/50,000.
5,050 springs were identified, out of which
2,290 have a name starting with either Ain or
Nabah. The LRA, responsible to maintain and
operate the surface water and springs gauging
stations in the country, is currently monitoring
the discharge flow of nine (9) major springs,
which are: 1) Nabaa el Arbaain; 2) Ain ez Zarka;
3) Ras el Ain; 4) Nabaa Al Rashidiyeh; 5) Nabaa
Adonis; 6) Nabaa Chamsine; 7) Ain Aanjar;
8) Nabaa el Hasbani; and 9) Nabaa Wizeneh.
Temporal discharge flow measurement series are
available only for periods after the 1990s. With
the exception of Nabaa Al Rashidiyeh, all these
springs were part of the list of springs that were
continuously monitored in the UNDP study of
1970.

One should be cautious however, that most
of the spring gauging stations do not provide
a true representation of the overall discharge
flow, given that they are usually installed just
downstream of the spring, and do not take
into account the water that is being extracted
for various purposes from the source, through
large pipes, canals, etc. Several springs are being
exploited by the water establishments; however;
only scattered records of average extraction rates
are reported. This average would be an indication
of the spring discharge flows, in dry season
when the total flow is being used. However, no
measurements of the springs are made during
the wet season, when the springs overflow and
are releasing most of their yearly flow. Examples
are: Nabaa Rachaaine, Nabaa el Hab, Chaghour
Spring and Nabaa El Arbaain.
Continuous spring flow measurements are

not being recorded. Discharge flow measurements
of several springs have been made in the past over
short periods; either on a regular or continuous
basis, usually during only one hydrological cycle,
and only as part of focused hydrogeological
studies. These include but are not limited to: 1)
Nabaa Al Daychounieh (Bureau Mounir Hajal;
1984); Nabaa Al Tasseh (ELARD-2006); Nabaa
Al Safa (BTD-1999); Nabaa Four Antellias
(Labaky 1998); and Chekka submarine springs
(El Hajj, 2008). Last but not least, as part of
regional water resources studies undertaken by
several consultants, such as Dar Al Handassah
Taleb, comprehensive surveys of many springs
were conducted in the mid 1990s. These
surveys, which were led by Mr. George Makhoul,
consisted of field checking all the springs shown
on the topographic map of 1/20,000, describing
the hydrogeological conditions of the springs,
and whenever possible, measuring the spring
discharge flow. The area surveyed, included:
Baalbeck, Hermel, Jbeil, Zgharta, and Sir Ed
Dannieh Cazas. Approximately 550 springs
were field surveyed. The field inspection sheets
of these springs were provided by Mr. Makhoul.
Based on the comprehensive review of all data
and information gathered, it appears that the
temporal series of spring discharge data are very
limited. Some scattered, reliable series for few
large springs, covering a very limited period
(usually 1 or 2 hydrological years), are available
for very few springs. Although the LRA is only
continuously monitoring nine (9) major springs
in the country, these measurements are generally
not truly representative of the total flow of
the springs, given that the extracted/exploited
volumes at the spring sources are usually not
accounted for. However; they represent the best
available estimate. The limited availability of
data constitutes a significant constrain on water
balance estimations based on aquifer basins.
33
Figure 2-2 Map showing the UNDP (1970) springs identified on the 1:200,000 map in reference to their classes (ND: not defined)
34
Figure 2.3 Map showing the springs of Lebanon identified from the 1:20,000 topographic map
35
Table 3-1 Summary table of public wells in Lebanon
ESTABLISHMENT
TOTAL NO.
OF WELLS
SURVEYED
IN THE FIELD
TOTAL
EXTRACTION RATE
(m3/day)
TOTAL
EXTRACTION
RATE
(Million m3/year)
TOTAL
EXTRACTION
RATE AS OF
MOEW 2010*
(Million m3/year)
TOTAL
NUMBER
OF PIEZOMETERS
TOTAL
NUMBER
OF FLOW
METERS
BMLWE
218
193,642
71
89
38
37
BWE
209
90,422
33
53
42
59
SLWE
277
309,128
113
71
160
NLWE
137
88,383
32
54
25
31
Total
841**
681,576
249
267
112
287
*MoEW 2010: National Water Sector Strategy: Baseline. MoEW, 2010
**inspection of 102 wells was not complete for varied reasons
3. WELLS SURVEY
3.1 PUBLIC WELLS
The public well survey was conducted
between November 14, 2011 and February 13,
2012. The survey area was subdivided into four
(4) operational areas following the geographical
coverage of the four (4) Lebanese Water
Establishments.
The survey revealed the presence of 841
public wells in the country, out of which 44
wells are abandoned and 68 are non-operational.
Data collection on 102 wells was not completed
due to inaccessibility. In addition to the general
information collected on each public well (well
depth, pump depth, type of casing, depth to
groundwater, operating hours, etc.), information
on the aquifer tapped and estimates of the
discharge rates were also integrated in the survey
sheets and databases.

Flow meters or flow totalizers were installed
in 287 public wells. The survey showed that
the operational public wells are exploiting the
various aquifers at an estimated rate of about
248.7 million m3/year (Table 3-1 & Figure 3-1
Only 112 wells were equipped with piezometers.
In the South Lebanon Water Establishment
(SLWE), six (6) wells were identified with
pseudo-piezometers, which is a short black
polyethylene hose of 1.5-inch ID and one (1) to
two (2) m length installed only on top of the well
head.
36

Water level was measured in 118 public wells,
which are the wells equipped with piezometers
and few extra wells where groundwater levels
were shallow. The ones where groundwater levels
could not be measured were mainly because the
electric water level meter could not be lowered to
the level of the groundwater.
Knowing the importance of monitoring
extraction rates and the level of groundwater
in public wells, it is highly recommended that
the water establishments install flow meters and
piezometers in newly constructed wells and in
wells that are being rehabilitated.
3.2 PRIVATE WELLS

The private wells assessment was conducted
for two (2) categories of wells: one relates to the
private licensed wells; and the other relates to the
private unlicensed wells.

The official data base of private licensed wells
was obtained from the MoEW; approximately
20,537 are officially registered (up until January
2012). Among the officially registed private
wells, 2,888 have exploitation permits and about
17,649 have drilling licenses but no exploitation
permits. The methodology used to survey such
a large number of wells involved dividing the
country into operational areas in line with the
geographical coverage of the four (4) Lebanese
water establishments and subdividing these areas
according to Cazas. The pie chart in Figure 3-2
Figure 3-1 Map of Lebanon with statistics on public wells distribution and extraction rates
37
outlines the distribution of wells in the each

operational area. More than 50% of the private
licensed wells are located in the BMLWE. The
field survey for private wells took about seven (7)
months to complete.

The number of unlicensed private wells, was
approximated from interviews and discussions
with representatives from local authorities,
municipalities, residents, pilot areas and in some
cases with local drillers. The estimated number
of unlicensed private wells is almost three (3)
times higher than the number of licensed private
wells (about 55,000 to 60,000 wells).
In heavily urbanized areas, most of the
unlicensed wells are suspected to be used for
domestic purposes and may therefore most
likely have relatively low daily extraction rates.
As an example, considering the 180 l/day/capita
(MoEW, 2010) and an average of 5 persons per
household, the average extraction rate for each
private well is approximately 1 m3/day if no other
source of water is available for that household. In
rural areas, especially in the Bekaa and Hermel,
most of these wells are suspected to be used for
irrigation purposes, and would therefore have
higher extraction rates. Consider for example
that the net irrigation needs is 4,500 to 5,000
m3/hectare/irrigation season. Knowing that the
irrigation season is approximately 6 months;
therefore the net irrigation needs are 25m3/day/

hectare. This volume will be considered as the
approximate groundwater extraction volume if
no other source of water is available for irrigation.
Finally Table 3-2 compares the number of illegal
wells in four (4) Mediterranean countries. The
ratio of the number of illegal wells to the surface
area, which is approximately five (5), is quite
comparable between Lebanon, Cyprus and Italy
but much higher than Spain.
Figure 3-2 Pie chart that shows the distribution of private

licensed wells in the different operational areas of the water
establishments in Lebanon
4. MONITORING CAMPAIGN
As part of this project, a total of 109 wells
were selected as observation wells (based on
information available from the public and private
wells survey task) for the one-year groundwater
monitoring program (between years 20122013). Initially the wells were chosen to be in
close proximity to wells monitored by the UNDP
1970 study. They were also distributed within
most of the GW-basins in Lebanon (Figure 4-1).
As specified in this studys terms of reference,
monitoring devices for the measurement
of temperature, conductivity, and depth to
groundwater every 15 minutes. Aqua Troll
200 level probes manufactured by In-Situ
inc., of Fort Collins, in Colorado, USA were
used. These probes are equipped with three
(3) sensors (temperature, pressure, and water
conductivity) and a built-in data logger. The
probes were also equipped with a telemetry unit
manufactured by ANT-Group, of Garvado, Italy,
and conceptualized by ELARD. This allowed
for the data to be directly transmitted to UNDP
personnel and the database at the MoEW.
Table 4.1 Comparison of collected data between water levels of the years 2012/2013 and 2013/2014
END OF APRIL 2013
SURFACE
AREA (Km2)
NO. ILLENO. OF ILLEGAL GAL

WELLS
WELLS
(Km2)
ESTIMATION PROCESSES
Interviews with representatives from local

authorities and local municipalities
Lebanon
10,452
54,246 to
59,124
5.6
Cyprus
9,251
50,000*
5.4
Spain
505,992
510,000**
Italy
301,338
1,500,000*
38
Interviews with local residents

Interviews with and discussion with local drillers
Pilot area surveys
-
Estimation figure from the increase in irrigated land

Estimated figure from local authorities
-
END OF APRIL 2014
CHANGE
WELL AREA
DEPTH TO WATER
LEVEL (m)
TDS
(ppm)
DEPTH TO WATER
LEVEL (m)
TDS
(ppm)
DEPTH TO WATER
LEVEL (m)
TDS
(ppm)
Zahle, Central Bekaa
15.78
359
27.43
340
-11.65
-19
Labweh, North
Bekaa
114.5
260
121.6
261
-7.1
Behsas, Tripoli
31.3
446
51.3
453
-20
Nabaa El Tasse,
Habouche
5.7
263
11.1
272
-5.4
Table 3-2 Comparison of the number of illegal wells between Mediterranean countries
COUNTRY
The remaining 89 wells were designated

for monthly measurements using hand-held
pH meters on the third week of each month for
the same parameters as those of the continuous
monitoring wells.
Once received, the data was checked for
quality and purged for any inconsistency and
anomaly that could have resulted from unusual
and unpredictable factors. The UNDP project
staff has continued with the retrieval of data
from the continuous monitoring probes in
the 20 wells that were part of the one-year
monitoring program. The collected data, even
though over a brief period, allowed comparison
between water levels of the years 2012/2013
(a normal rainfall year) and 2013/2014 (a dry
year). This only stresses the need for a national
dedicated groundwater monitoring network that
would help significantly in the management of
the groundwater resources and record the effects
of climate and exploitation on the groundwater
levels. Table 4-13-3 illustrates how the dry year
resulted in a drop in groundwater levels in most
areas to varying degrees, combined with a rise in
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in coastal areas.
Hazmieh
Beirut
31.9
2705
36.6
5974
-4.7
3269
Damour
85.1
608
85.1
630
-0.5
22
Mechref
South
Of
Beirut
131.7
980
139.3
2270
-7.6
1290
Hariri
Saida
11.9
452
17.2
431
-5.3
-21
39
5. DATABASE
CONSTRUCTION
A professional and efficient groundwater
resource management GW-Base software was
used for building, managing and storing the
comprehensive database at the MoEW. The
software has been developed by Ribeka of
Germany. A total of 22,945 stations of various
types were loaded into the main GW Assessment
Lebanon Project in GW-Base. Seven (subprojects were created within this project. The
sub-projects are:
Public wells (841 Stations)
Private Licensed Wells (20,529 Stations)
Private Unlicensed Wells (809 Stations) (from the pilot
areas)
Private Wells (Monitored Unlicensed) (49 Stations,
used in manual monitoring)
Automated monitoring (20 Stations, used in automated
monitoring)
River Gauges (121 Stations)
Springs (490 Stations)
Meteorological Stations (106 Stations)
An Arabic interface of the GW-Base

Solution was loaded and activated. One can
easily switch between interface languages by
selecting the desired language. Snap-shots of the
Software interface are provided in Figure 5-1 and
Figure 5-2.
Figure 4-1 Map showing the distribution of wells that were monitored
40
In addition to the above, a geo-database,

including multiple thematic maps, were
constructed in GIS. Accordingly, the GIS
database was built using ArcGIS 9.3 geo-database
in 8-feature datasets, a standalone feature
classes, raster data, three (3) object classes and
relationships between feature and object classes.
The main feature datasets are administrative,
geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, karst and soil.
The stand-alone feature class is the land cover/
use and objects classes, which are tables covering
information of the daily and monthly discharge
records of the streams, as well as related studies
that were gathered for each spring. The raster
data were the DEM and the related geological
cross-section. All data stored in GW-base can
be viewed and combined with any of the abovementioned maps using the GW-ARC extension.

It is believed that the database is a first of its
kind in terms of data variety, size, integration,
quality and comprehensiveness in Lebanon. The
database will serve as a strong tool for future
projects at the MoEW, as well as for improving
the management of the water sector.
It is therefore highly recommended to
maintain and keep updating the database by
loading data gathered at the various stations from
subsequent projects. Future assessment projects
can make use of the timely completed database.
Figure 5-1 Snapshot from GW-Base of the public wells (with locations and Information), overlaid on 1:50,000
topographic maps
41
Figure 5-2 Snapshot from GW-Base showing the station data and editing windows
6. HYDROGEOLOGICAL
ASSESSMENT
6.1 GEOLOGICAL AND
HYDROGEOLOGICAL SETTING
The geological history of Lebanon had
a major role in shaping the countrys main
geomorphological fabric. Appendix 1 in
Deliverable 9 provides details on the geological
history, hydrogeological setting and the main
structural features that make up the geology
of Lebanon. Various tectonic events of uplift,
collision and changes in sea level were main
42
factors in determining the structural features and

depositional environments.
Two (2) major tectonic events are
documented in the geological history of Lebanon.
The first event is the uplift in the late Jurassic to
early Cretaceous Eras, which led to the exposure,
erosion and karstification of the Jurassic
Limestone. The second event is the closure
of the Tethyan Sea in the early Tertiary Period
forming a collision zone, which has led to the
first gentle uplift of Mount Lebanon and AntiLebanon Ranges. These events were separated
by times of rise in sea level, which has caused
Figure 6-1 Simplified stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Lebanon, (adapted from Wallley (1995) and Abbud and Aker (1986))
43
the deposition of thick limestone units mainly

in the early Jurassic, late Jurassic and middle
Cretaceous periods. The early Cretaceous period
was characterized by the delta river deposits that
were mainly sands and clay and that reach a
thickness of 300 m in central Lebanon.
A major regional event also took place at
the end of the Miocene epoch known as the
Messinian Salinity Crisis where a major drop
in sea level, by about 1000 m, occurred due
to the closer of the Mediterranean Sea. This
event led to the deposition of thick salt layers
and had a major impact on the development of
karstification.
Moreover, the collision of the Arabian and Asian
plates, during the Eocene and Oligocene epoch,
led to the shaping the NNE-SSW trending
features.
The stratigraphic formations, for the
purpose of this study, were grouped according
to their hydrostratigraphic classification and are
divided into three (3) main groups: Aquifers,
Semi-Aquifers and Aquicludes. The two (2)
main aquifers are the Kesrouane Jurassic (J4)
and the Sannine-Maameltain (C4-C5) which
are lithologically composed mainly of karstic
limestone. They are the two (2) water towers
(Chateau-Deau) of Lebanon and cover about
5590 km2, which is about 54% of the country
surface area.
The main structural features are shaped by
the major tectonic events that are recorded in the
geological history of Lebanon. These structures
have an impact on controlling the groundwater
flow directions; they can serve either as a
preferential pathway or as a flow-restricting
boundary. They are divided into primary and
secondary structures. The Primary structures are
divided into: 1) primary faults (Yammouneh,
Rashaya, Hasbaya, Roum and Serghaya) 2)
primary folds (North Mount Lebanon Anticline,
Barouk-Niha Anticline, Bekaa Syncline/garben,
North Anti-Lebanon Anticline and Mount
44
Hermon Anticline) and 3) platforms (Akkar, Tyr

and Saida-Damour). The secondary structures
are divided in to secondary faults, which are
trending in a NW-SE, NE-SW, ENE-WSW and
E-W and secondary folds, mainly trending in
a NNE-SSW direction parallel to the primary
faults.
6.2 GROUNDWATER BASINS

BOUNDARIES & GEOLOGY

In the UNDP 1970 study, 32 groundwater
basins were identified and divided into two
(2) main hydrogeological provinces: the
Mediterranean Province and the Interior
Province (Figure 6-4). The dividing line between
the provinces was the topographic high points
of the summits of Mount Lebanon and BaroukNiha ranges.
A three-step methodology was adopted for
redefining the GW-basin boundaries: the first
and second steps consisted of digitizing the
UNDP 1970 hydrogeological map and refining
the aquifer boundaries according to the 1:50,000
geological maps respectively. The third step
involved redefining some of the GW-basins
identified in the 1970 study, and revisiting/
shifting of some aquifer boundaries based on
recent geological, hydrogeological information
gathered during the project and on topographical
highs when no other reliable method could be
applied. The details of the re-evaluation of the
groundwater basin can be found in Appendix 2
of Deliverable 9.
Based on the re-evaluation of GW-basins,
51 GW-basins were identified of which 28
productive basins and three (3) unproductive
basins are located in the Mediterranean
Province, and 16 productive basins and three (3)
unproductive basins are in the Interior Province.
An updated map showing the various GW-basins
was generated (Figure 6-5 and Figure 6-6)).
Figure 6-2 Major geological structural features of Lebanon
45
Figure 6-3 Groups of secondary faults of Lebanon
46
Figure 6-4 Groundwater basin map of Lebanon, as presented by the UNDP (1970)
47
6.3
KARST
About 65 % of the surface of Lebanon is

covered with carbonates karstic formations. The
identification, characterization and assessment
of the various karstic features are important
components of the overall assessment of the
groundwater resources of the country. Karstic
features tend to constitute preferential pathways
for groundwater flow. A first of its kind karstic
map of Lebanon was developed as part of this
study. Four (4) types of karstic areas were
defined, based on the intensity of karstification,
and the types of prevailing karstic features, such
as doline, lapiaz, polji, sinking stream, and
cave. These are High Karst Exposure (HKE),
Moderate Karst Exposure (MKE), Restricted
Karst Exposure (RKE) and finally the Covered
Karst (CK (Refer to Table 6-1 and Figure 6-7)).
The development of karst and depth of

karstification were also studied and linked to the
various uplift events that are documented in the
stratigraphic column of Lebanon, the volcanic
activities, the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC)
with the drop of sea level and to the glacialinterglacial periods during the Pleistocene.
These events and the drop of sea level might have
led to the deeper incision of the water channels
and developed the karstification to about
1000m below the present coast line. Another
proof of the deep karstification in Lebanon is
the submarine springs that have vents at 40m
below sea level in Chekka area. A description
of the types, density and distribution of
karstification in the various groundwater basins
of the major Karstic is provided in Appendix 3 of
Deliverable 9.
Table 6-1 Types of karst and their distribution according to GW-basins
TYPE OF KARST AREA

MAJOR KARSTIC FEATURE
Area 1 - High Karst Exposure (HKE)
(Doline (D), Lapies (L), Poljie (P), cockpit (C), Natural
bridges, DLC (combination))
DLCJ-Jurassic (J4)
DLCC-Cretaceous (C4-C5)
DJ- Jurassic (J4)
DEFINITION OF
KARST TYPE
GW-BASIN
EFFECT ON SURFACE
WATER AND GW-BASIN
Karstified formation
Karst well developed
visible and easily
identified.
High infiltration rate
with isolated drainages
Basin 1a, 3, 17a

,17c, 15, 16, 18,
21
High infiltration rate

High groundwater flow
velocity
No major surface runoff
Sinking streams
Karstified formation.
Karst well developed
but not easily identified.
Relatively high
diffused infiltration.
Basin 1, 3, 4, 5,
7a,b,c,d, 9, 10,
13, 16, 18, 19a,
20a, 21, 26a,b,c
and unproductive
areas
Relatively high infiltration

rate
Groundwater flow present
Normal surface runoff
with diffused losses
Non karstic
formation
Relatively thin
Limestone units
Karst restricted to
thin Limestone units
Karst might be well
developed
Basin 19a, 28,

30b, 31
No major effect on the

infiltration rate unless passing
over those karstic units
Groundwater might be
present
No major loss from
surface runoff unless
drainage passing over karstic
units
Karstified formations
that is covered either
by other formations
such as recent deposits,
basalt, sand, and marls.
Distributed over
small part in all
the GW-basins.
Basins 11a, b, 26a
b, c, 30a, 27a & b
Interaction between the

permeable top layers and the
underlying
DC- Cretaceous (C4-C5)

LJ- Jurassic (J4)
Area 2 - Moderate Karst Exposure (MKE)

MKEJ-Jurassic (J4)
MKEC-Cretaceous (C4-C5)
MKEE-Eocene (e2b)
MKEM-Miocene (ml)
Area 3 - Restricted Karst Exposure (RKE)

RKEJ- Jurassic (J5-J7)
RKEC- Cretaceous (C2-3)
Area 4 - Covered Karst (CK)

CKQN by Recent deposit (Q and mcg)
CKB by Basalt (p)
CKCS (Cretaceous Sandstone C1)
CKCE (C6-e2a)
48
Figure 6-5 Map showing the modified GW-basin
LC- Cretaceous (C4-C5)
Figure 6-7 Karstic map of Lebanon
Figure 6-6 Distribution of the GW-basins and unproductive zones in Lebanon
53
6.4 SPRINGS ASSESSMENT

The spring characterization (Appendix 5 of
Deliverable 9) of the various GW-basins is an
essential component of the overall assessment
of the groundwater resources of the country.
5,050 springs were depicted from the available
topographic maps (refer to Figure 6-8). About
409 springs distributed over most of the GWbasins were identified as having some reliable
discharge flow data. Only nine (9) springs are
being monitored on a regular basis.
The spring assessment was based on
categorizing and classifying springs into
types (based on emergence mechanism) and
classes (based on discharge flow rates) as well
as on analyzing hydrographs of springs with
continuous data.
About 81 springs were categorized into
nine (9) types of springs, developed specifically
in this study. Each type is characterized by its
specific emergence mechanism which includes
a combination of spring hydrodynamic
characteristics (i.e. Drainage flow, overflow,
artesian, or a combination of two (2) of these flow
types) and geological controlling features (i.e.
Structural and stratigraphic control/barriers).
The categorization of these 81 springs into types
is provided in Plate 2 at the end of this report.
The classification of 409 springs with
relatively reliable data was based on Meinzer
(1923) which categorizes springs according to
their discharge magnitude (refer to Table 6-2).
The minimum average discharge rates of the
springs were used for the classification of the
springs of Lebanon. Only five (5) springs were
found to belong to class 2, which is characterized
by a discharge rate ranging between 1 to 10 m3/s.
57 springs belong to class 3 with a discharge rate
ranging 0.1 to 1 m3/s, and on 101 springs belongs
to class 4 of discharge flow ranging between 10
to 100 l/s. The remaining springs have discharge
rates less than 10 l/s, out of which 107 springs
belong to class 5 with a discharge rate ranging
54
from 1 to 10 l/s. The majority of the springs of

class 5 and below are found in the major aquifers
of karstic nature.
For the hydro-graph analysis the method
used to analyze the base flow relies on the
assessment of the recession behavior representing
saturated and non-saturated zones. A total of 45
springs were initially assessed but only 16 springs
in nine (9) different GW-basins had reliable data
(refer to Table 6-3). The result of these studies
showed that all aquifers have similar recession
coefficient ranges, which are indicative of the
karstic nature of the aquifer. The lower ranges
of coefficients obtained in this study are similar
to those reported in the UNDP 1970 study.
The higher ranges are attributed to the rapid
emptying of the aquifer which is mostly due to
induced human factors.
Table 6-2 Table showing the number of spring with data in each class (Meinzer Classification) compared with the UNDP 1970 with
an example for each spring type
CLASS /
DISCHARGE
RANGE
NUMBER
OF
SPRINGS
AV. MIN.
DISCHARGE
RATE (m3/s)
BASIN
TYPE OF
SPRING
18
Nabaa el Aassi (Ain el

Zarka)
5.2
NAME
Chekka Submarine
Second
(1-10 m3/s)
Third
(0.1-1 m3/s)
Fourth
(10-100 l/s)
57
101
12
46
59
6.5 GROUNDWATER LEVEL

A detailed description of the evaluation of
the groundwater level in various GW-basins is
provided in Appendix 6 of Deliverable 9. The
evaluation of the groundwater level trends in
Lebanon and in specific GW-basins was made
using primarily the data collected during the
1-year monitoring program (2012-2013).
This analysis comprised the generation of
hydrographs overlain with rainfall data to assess
the response of groundwater levels to rainfall
events. Additionally, whenever possible, these
groundwater levels were compared to the levels
presented in the 1970 study. The purpose of
this task was to assess the overall drop in water
levels and to estimate the general ground water
flow directions in various basins. The assessment
has revealed that the groundwater levels in the
wells that were continuously monitored showed
a relatively rapid response (of hours or even
day) to rainfall events with a rapid increase in
groundwater levels of two (2) to 12m. This
response to rainfall events was mainly attributed
to the rapid recharge from precipitation.
EXAMPLES
UNDP 1970
(CLASSIFICATION
OF 194 SPRINGS)*
Fifth
(1-10 l/s)
Sixth
(0.1-1 l/s)
Seventh
(10-100 cm3/s)
117
82
31
62
Nabaa Jeita
1.55
16
Ain ez Zarq
1.2
Nabaa Yammouneh
1.1
Nabaa Fouar Antelias
0.2
16
Nabaa Adonis (Afqa)
0.2
15
Nabaa el Aassal
0.16
15
Nabaa Chtaura
0.15
11a&2
Nabaa el Hasbani
0.227
7a
Nabaa er Roueis
0.144
15
Nabaa el Hadid
0.02
16
Nabaa ed Dardara
0.02
Nabaa Jezzine
0.05
20b
Nabaa Ebel
0.02
Nabaa el Madik
0.002
16
Nabaa Safsaf
0.002
Nabaa Naas
0.001
27b
Nabaa Kesrouane
0.008
3a
Nabaa Niha
0.002
17a
Nabaa Sir
4*10
Nabaa Sawkah
2*10-4
27b
Nabaa Ouweinat
5*10-4
30a
Ain el Aassafir
2*10
18a
Ain el Kazzabi
3*10-4
Ain el Triq
6*10
13
14
5*10
18a
3*10-5
18
Ain el Mehle
4*10
13
Ain Saader
2*10
31
179
-5
-5
-5
18a
Ain Hochbai
6*10-6
Nabaa Sreid
21
6*10-8
Nabaa Qatra
409
-5
Ain Oum Hassane
Nabaa el Hammam
Total
-4
Ain Adde
Nabaa Jouaat
Eighth
(Less than 10
cm3/s)
-4
* About 15 springs from the UNDP 1970 didnt have a range of discharge and could not
be classified. These springs were related to the submarine springs or the Temporary karstic
or artesian springs.
55
Table 6-3 Springs flows and recession coefficients
YEARS
GWB
NO.
GWB
SPRING
Ain ed
Daiaa
1a
E. BaroukNiha
Jurassic
Ain et
Tannour
Nabaa el
Khraizat
NO.
YEARS
5
5
6
AV. RECESSION
COEFFICIENT
(discontinuous)
a1(10 )
a2(10 )
[20012010]
1.2
0.38
[20012010]
[19932011]
-2
1.1
1
0.57
0.68
11a
&2
Nabaa
Chtaura
[19942005]
1.3
16
Kesrouane
Jurassic
Nabaa
Fouar
Antelias
[20022010]
1.9
1.6
17a
W. BaroukNiha
Jurassic
Nabaa
el Safa
(Azzounieh)
[2009-2011]
3.3
1.86
Mount
LebanonBekaa
Cretaceous
Nabaa el
Berdaouni
16
[19902010]
2.1
1.79
Nabaa el
Hasbani
[2005-2010]
1.5
0.95
Nabaa el
Wazzani
[2008-2010]
3.2
0.64
Ain Aanjar
(Ghayzayel
Aanjar)
12
[1996-2007]
1.4
0.65
Nabaa
Chamsine
10
[2001-2011]
1.7
Nabaa
Yahfoufa
- Ain es
sikeh
11
[1998-2009]
1.9
Nabaa el
Maidane
[20002010]
1.3
0.65
20a
4
Central
AntiLebanon
Cretaceous
Jarmaq
Cretaceous
S. Bekaa
Eocene
Ain ez
Zarqa
[20002011]
0.9
0.63
m3/s
0.14
MCM
4.49
m3/s
0.27
MCM
8.58
m3/s
0.22
MCM
6.79
m3/s
0.42
MCM
13.19
m3/s
2.4
MCM
75.7
BASE
FLOW
4.32
5.78
4.05
5.46
26.04
MAX
MIN
0.21
0.1
0.55
0.26
0.45
0.16
1.17
42
0.37
0.11
0.98
0.3
0.81
0.17
2.12
0.45
7.69
0.3
18.6
0.77
m3/s
1.78
7.57
0.39
MCM
56.21
28.04 18.32
1.04
m3/s
1.16
2.77
0.04
MCM
36.62
7.42
0.11
m3/s
1.33
4.05
0.38
MCM
41.8
9.81
m3/s
2.55
5.74
1.24
MCM
80.56
49.66 15.38
3.32
m3/s
1.51
3.12
0.67
MCM
47.74
29.24
8.37
1.73
m3/s
0.21
0.3
0.01
MCM
6.65
3.02
0.77
0.27
m3/s
1.37
3.71
0.35
MCM
43.06
9.09
9.94
0.94
m3/s
0.07
0.18
0.04
MCM
2.17
1.37
0.43
0.1
3.51
0.99
9.39
2.66
m /s
1.98
MCM
62.43
8.49
21.18
50.87
TOTAL
FLOW
9.45
14.5
RECESSION
COEF.
(102)
0.7
0.57
1.2
45
44.5
31
60
63.5
14.7
0.94
1.94
1.5
0.22
0.39
5
77
Figure 6-8 Location of springs
7b
S. AntiLebanon
Cretaceous
TOTAL
FLOW
-2
S. Bekaa
NeogeneQuaternary
Basin
and Jdita
Jurassic
Basin
7a
UNDP 1970
56
59
Figure 6-9 Summary map of wells with groundwater level information
Figure 6-10 Groundwater table contour map for the Akkar Neogene-Quaternary Basin generated from February 2013 data set (blue)
compared to February 1967 data sets (in Red), from UNDP 1970
60
61
Correlation between groundwater level data

from this study and those from the UNDP 1970
study was established in 12 of these basins. The
Mediterranean Province and most of the interior
GW-basins, which are not in direct contact with
the sea, have shown a decrease in groundwater
levels which was mainly attributed to the overexploitation of the aquifers. In Sir ed DanniehAin Yaacoub Basin (Basin 13), the drop was
about 27m. The coastal GW-basins showed
almost similar groundwater level to those of
the UNDP 1970 study because the exploited
water is being directly compensated by sea water
intrusion. Groundwater table contour map for
the Akkar Neogene-Quaternary Basin generated
from February 2013 d ata set is compared to
February 1967 data sets from UNDP 1970 and
data sets from FAO (1970) in Figure 6-10 and
Figure 6-11 respectively.
With the exception of one (1) GW-basin,
most of the basins that were monitored in the
Interior Province showed a significant decrease
in groundwater levels (from the 1970 levels)
which is also attributed to the over exploitation
of the aquifers. A decrease of about 20m was
observed in the Litani area in the Southern Bekaa
Neogene-Quaternary Basin (Basin 11a) (refer to
Figure 6-12). In the Jdita Jurassic Basin (Basin
2), the groundwater levels do not appear to
have decreased from the 1970 levels indicating
that groundwater in this basin has not been
overexploited.
6.6 HYDRO-CHEMICAL
CHARACTERIZATION
This section aims at characterizing the
hydro-chemistry of the various GW-basins of
the country and assessing the conditions of
the coastal aquifers with respect to sea water
intrusions. For more details, please refer to
Appendix 8 of Deliverable 9. Hydro-chemical
data that were gathered from various sources
such as the water establishments, and previous
62
studies, were processed and assessed. A total of

307 samples were deemed to be reliable, and
were retained for the evaluation of the hydrochemical characteristics of the various GW-basin
of the country. Number of samples used for the
assessment of the hydrochemical facies of each
basin is presented in Table 6-4.
Piper diagrams were generated for various
GW-basins. In the Interior provinces, the
majority of these basins belonged to the
carbonate facies, and more specifically to the
Ca-Mg-HCO3 facies, which is typical of the
karstic nature of the aquifers of Lebanon and is
consistent with the results of the UNDP 1970
study.
The conductivity values tend to increase
with the increase in the aquifer retention time.
In general, the groundwater conductivity values
in karstic aquifers tend to be higher than those in
the porous medium aquifers. Also, the closer to
the recharge area, the lower the conductivity is.
Last but not least, the conductivity values tend
to be directly impacted by precipitation. They
generally tend to slightly increase immediately
after rainfall events. This is a clear indication of
the instant recharge caused by rain infiltration
and the well-developed karstic nature of most of
the aquifers of the country.
In the Mediterranean provinces, two (2)
types of facies were identified: 1) The Ca-MgHCO3 facies, which is typical of the karstic nature
of the aquifer, are found in the inland basins that
are usually not in contact with the sea; and 2)
The Na-K-CI-SO4 facies reflecting the influence
of sea water intrusion is dominant in most of the
coastal aquifers that are in direct contact with the
sea. The salt water encroachment in the GWbasins of these coastal basins is currently much
more extensive than what it was in the 1970s.
The current location and depth of the fresh water
salt water interface is shallower than in 1970 and
has shifted further inland.
Figure 6-11 Groundwater table contour map in the Akkar Neogene-Quaternary Basin for February 2013 data set (Blue), compared to
February 1969 data set (in green) obtained from FAO (1970)
63
Table 6-4 Table outlining the groundwater basins with the number of samples used for the assessment of the hydrochemical facies
of each basin
GW
BASIN
NO.
GW
BASIN
NO
NO. OF
SAMPLES
1a
16
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Ca-Mg-HCO3
1b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
36
Ca-Mg-HCO3
FACIES FROM PIPER
NO. OF
SAMPLES
FACIES FROM PIPER
INTERIOR PROVINCE
3b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Ca-Mg-HCO3
7a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
7b
17
Ca-Mg-HCO3
7c
29
Ca-Mg-HCO3
20
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Ca-Mg-HCO3
10
23
Ca-Mg-HCO3
10-11a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
11a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
11b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
3-11b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
12
Ca-Mg-HCO3
Mediterranean Province
15
Ca-Mg-HCO3
16
14
Ca-Mg-HCO3
17b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
17c
Ca-Mg-HCO3
18
19a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
19a-24a
19a-24b
Ca-Mg-HCO3
20a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
10
Most of the samples fall in

Ca-Mg-HCO3 facies except for
sample GH005 which is of the
Na+K+CI-S04, a troublesome fact
that could indicate seawater
intrusion
23d
16

Ca-Mg-HCO3 facies except for
sample NTR023 taken in winter
which is of the Na+K+CI-S04,
a troublesome fact that could
indicate seawater intrusion.
Ca-Mg-HCO3
With shift towards salt water
intrusion for SS2 values
Ca-Mg-HCO3
The scatter deviating towards
19b
20b
Figure 6 -12 Location of the monitored wells from the Ground Water Modelling in the Upper Litani Basin with the generated contour
lines for November 2010 (in Blue), compared to February 1967 contour lines (in Red), from UNDP 1970
64
23
Na+K+CI-S04 facies is a
troublesome fact that could
indicate seawater intrusion
Ca-Mg-HCO3
22

Ca-Mg-HCO3 Except for LU001
24a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
24b-26a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
26a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
27a
Ca-Mg-HCO3
11
Most of the samples fall in CaMg-HCO3 facies except for the

sample obtained from GH004
28
21
65
6.7 HYDROLOGY
Figure 6-13 Sub-watersheds according to Plassards (1972) rain map
66
The hydrological study (Appendix 9

in Deliverable 9) provides an evaluation of
precipitation (rain and snow), evapotranspiration,
and runoff for the country to properly assess
the natural recharge by infiltration. Surface
watersheds were initially considered as the
basin unit in the assessment of the different
parameters. They were further divided into subwatersheds according to their location within
the rain map of 1972 and to their elevation
(Figure 6-13). Results obtained from the analysis
performed based on the sub-watersheds were
then propagated to the intersecting GW-basins
to evaluate the groundwater recharge of each
groundwater aquifer basin.
Due to the limited quality and availability
of data, only four (4) hydrological cycles (2008
to 2012) were retained for analysis. The data
gathered from various stations fairly distributed
over the Lebanese territory that were deemed of
acceptable quality were used to calculate rain and
the evapotranspiration amounts. For these four
(4) hydrological cycles, the estimated volume of
rain per year ranges between 6,015 and 9,365
MCM (Table 6-5).

Snow water equivalent, which had not been
taken into account in the UNDP 1970 study,
was evaluated using satellite imagery (MODIS)
for the four (4) hydrological cycles (2008 to
2012). The yearly water equivalent volumes of
snow water estimated using this technique range
between 1,815 and 2567 MCM (Table 6-6).
The maximal estimated total precipitation
is the sum of the rainfall and the snow water
equivalent averaged on every surface watershed.
Figure
6-14 shows the average precipitation
values in relation to average snow water
equivalent and table 6-7 summarizes the total
yearly precipitation values for the retained four
(4) hydrological cycles, which vary between 7830
MCM to 11932 MCM. Total yearly average
precipitation maps were generated for these (4)
four hydrological cycles and are provided in

Figure 6-15, Figure 6 -16, Figure 6 -17 and Figure
6-18.

The yearly volumes of real evapotranspiration
(RET) that were estimated for the four (4)
hydrological cycles using the Turk method
(Turk,1961) vary between 1,563 and 1,475
MCM (Table 6-8).
In the UNDP 1970 study, the
hydrogeological budget of spring discharges was
lumped with the surface runoff. In the current
study, a different approach was adopted; the
runoff was calculated using the United States
Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCSCN) method which is recommended for semiarid areas. The estimated yearly surface runoff
for the four (4) hydrological cycles, which does
not account for the portion that comes from the
discharge of the various springs, varies between
2,151 and 3,807 MCM (table 6-9).
Recharge to groundwater was subsequently
calculated as the excess of precipitation over
real evapotranspiration and surface runoff. The
estimated volumes which includes both deep
percolation and retention in the vadose zone
for the four (4) hydrological cycles varies vary
from 4,116 to 6,651 MCM (Table 6-10), with
an average of about 55 % (2%) of the total
precipitation.

Out of the four (4) hydrological cycles, one
wet cycle (2011-2012) and one dry cycle (20102011), were retained, for detailed analysis, and
water budget estimation. For these two (2) years,
the four (4) parameters (precipitation, recharge
to groundwater, runoff and evapotranspiration)
were estimated for the various groundwater
basins of the country. Table 6-11 presents the
estimated average precipitation, recharge to
groundwater, runoff and real evapotranspiration
for the entire country.
67
Table 6-5 Rainfall all over the Lebanese territory from 2008 to 2012
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
Runoff (MCM)
6978
7268
6015
9365
7407
1222
Runoff (mm)
681
709
587
913
722
119
Table 6-6 Snow water equivalent in MCM estimated from 2008-2009 to 2011-2012
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
I(MCM)
2497
2300
1815
2567
2295
294
I(mm)
244
224
177
250
224
29
Table 6-7 Total precipitation (rainfall and snow) all over the Lebanese territory from 2008 to 2012
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
Total Precipitation (MCM)
9476
9568
7830
11932
9702
1462
Total Precipitation (mm)
924
933
764
1164
946
Figure 6-16 Annual precipitation 2009-2010
143
Figure 6-14 Average precipitation values in relation to average snow water equivalent for hydrological cycles 2008 to 2012
68
69
Table 6-8 RET from 2008 to 2012 using Turk method
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
(MCM)
1554
1834
1563
1475
1607
136
(mm)
152
179
152
144
157
13
% from Rainfall
22%
25%
26%
16%
% from Prec.
16%
19%
20%
12%
% from Prec.
16%
17%
18%
13%
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
Runoff (MCM)
2517
3068
2151
3807
2886
721
Runoff (mm)
246
299
210
371
281
70
Table 6-9 Calculated runoff from 2008 to 2012
Table 6-10 Estimated recharge to groundwater from 2008 to 2012
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
4 YEARS
AVERAGE
STANDARD
DEVIATION ()
I(MCM)
5404
4666
4116
6651
5209
1096
I(mm)
527
455
401
649
508
107
Table 6-11 Average precipitation, recharge to groundwater, runoff and real evapotranspiration for the Lebanese territory (2008-2012)
DRY (2010-2011)
GROUNDWATER
BASIN
Total Lebanon
WET (2011-2012)
UNDP 1970*
MCM
mm
MCM
mm
MCM
Precipitation
7830
764
100
11932
1164
100
9378
100
Recharge to GW
4116
401
53
6651
649
56
3246
35
Runoff
2151
210
27
3807
371
32
1090
12
ETR
1563
152
20
1475
144
12
5040
54*
* Losses reported by the UNDP 1970 include, but not only restricted to RET, extraction wells; return flows (from domestic and irrigation use); and shallow subsurface
flow in soils. The UNDP 1970 did not report the RET alone.
6.8 WATER BUDGET

This section brings together the information
collected in the various deliverables of this study
in an attempt to estimate Lebanons groundwater
budget. The assessment undertaken in this
section indicates the behavior and conditions
of each GW-basin and the identification of the
strained aquifers. More details can be found in
Appendix 10 of Deliverable 9.
The groundwater balance is the difference
between the recharge and discharge that
70
comprise the water budget. The recharge (water

inflow) includes natural infiltration from rainfall
and snowmelt; return flows from irrigation,
domestic, industrial and touristic water usages as
well as from losses in the water supply network;
groundwater gains from other basins/aquifer.
The discharge includes groundwater usage for
irrigation, domestic, industrial and tourism;
groundwater losses to the sea; natural discharge
of springs and losses to other basins/aquifers
(Table 6-12).
Figure 6-19 Schematic diagram of the model devised specifically for the groundwater budget of Lebanon
These components of the budget were

assessed for two (2) hydrological cycles, a dry
(2010-2011) cycle and a wet (2011-2012) cycle,
mainly because of the availability and reliability
data for those two (2) cycles. They were assembled
in a simple Excel model (Figure 6-19) that could
be easily updated in the future whenever new or
more reliable data become available.

The estimated values presented in the model
are only indicators rather than real values; they
provide information on the mechanisms of
exchange rather than on precise quantities. Some
data were not available such as those related to
groundwater gains and losses from one basin to
another, deep percolation and losses to the sea.
Other pertinent data were either not exhaustive
or inaccurate such as those of spring discharge.
Nevertheless, the model that was developed
allows for future updates and analyses on basin

levels when more data becomes available.

Results of GW-basins of the Mediterranean
province and the Interior Province are presented
in Table 6-13 and Table 6-14 respectively.
At the national level, the recharge for
the two (2) retained hydrological cycles varies
between 4,728 and 7,263 MCM. The discharge
was estimated to be around 2588 MCM. The
water balance in the budget was estimated to vary
from 2,140 MCM for the dry year (2010/2011)
to 4,675 MCM for the wet year (2011/2012)
(Figure 6-15). These values do not account for
the losses to the sea and for the deep percolation.
A comparison between estimates made in the
UNDP study of 1970 are is provided in Table
6-16).

Generally, with the exception of the coastal
71
basins and some interior basins of the Bekaa

region, the majority of the GW-basin, show
a surplus in the budget. Many of the coastal
GW-basins, which are heavily urbanized, show
significant deficiencies in the water balance.
Deficiencies reaching more than 150 MCM
per year in the dry year were observed, such as
in the North Lebanon Cretaceous Basin (Basin
18) which showed a deficiency of 157 MCM
(equivalent to 427 mm); the Hadath-Hazmieh
Cretaceous Basin (Basin 22) with a deficiency
of 7.2 MCM (equivalent to 544 mm); and the

Beirut Neogene-Quaternary Basin (Basin 26a)
with a deficiency of 38.4 MCM (equivalent
to 648 mm). The South Bekaa NeogeneQuaternary Basin (Basin 11a) and North Bekaa
Neogene-Quaternary Basins (Basin 11b) show
deficiencies in their budgets of up to 45.7
MCM and 34.2 MCM respectively (equivalent
to 84 mm and 50 mm), mostly due to intense
exploitation for irrigation purpose. Stressed
aquifers are presented in Figure 6-20.
Table 6-13 Results and discussion of GW-basins of the Mediterranean Province
GW BASIN GW BASIN
NO.
NAME
DATA
SOURCES
GW BALANCE
St
Groundwater
storage in the
aquifer
DP
Deep percolation
Was not possible to estimate each one separately. St, LS and DP were jointly
estimated from the difference between Recharge and Discharge
RECHARGE
I
RF
GA
Infiltration
1b
21.4
(446)
40.7
(848)
Possible percolation to deeper parts of the aquifer/Basin.

Spring discharges not well measured and might be underestimated.
Number of private wells is not well defined and the extraction rates from private and public
wells is not well defined.
17a,b,c
W. BaroukNiha Jurassic
23.4
(261)
64.2
(713)
Retention and storage not well defined.
16
Kesrouane
Jurassic
288.3
(654)
501.4
(1137)
Possible lateral loss to E. Barouk-Niha Jurassic Basin.
13
Sir Ed
Danieh-Ain
Yacoub
Jurassic
145.6
(1078)

20a
Jarmaq
Cretaceous
18.3
(290)
45.7
(724)
Possible lateral loss to Jezzine Cretaceous Basin.

Spring discharges not well measured and might be underestimated. Retention and storage not
well defined.
20b
Jezzine
Cretaceous
38.4
(562)
68.7
(1005)
Possible lateral loss to Jarmaq Cretaceous Basin.

well defined.
3b
W. Kniesseh
Cretaceous
4
(741)
6.3
(1159)
Possible lateral loss to E. Kniesseh Cretaceous Basin.

well defined.
15
High Central
Mount
Lebanon
Cretaceous
262.7
(1174)
451
(2015)
Possible lateral loss to Mount Lebanon-Bekaa Cretaceous Basin.

well defined.
18a
BcharreDannieh
Cretaceous
119.2
(930)
184.4
(1438)
Possible lateral lose to North Lebanon and Mount Lebanon-Bekaa Cretaceous Basins.
18b
Qammoua
Cretaceous
17.5
(404)
39.6
(914)
well defined.
Discharge to Groundwater component (Hydrology Report)
Return flow from

domestic, industrial
and touristic usages
and
Domestic, Industrial and Touristic Water Usage
Irrigation practices
Irrigation Water Usage
Return flow from

Losses in the
Domestic Supply
Network
Domestic, Industrial and Touristic Water Usage
Groundwater gains
from other basins/
aquifers
Was not possible to estimate in this project
21
DISCHARGE
Domestic, Industrial
and Touristic Supply
Calculate in the (Domestic, Industrial and Touristic Water Usage)
Irr
Irrigation water
Usage from wells
and from springs
Calculated in the (Irrigation Water Usage)
SD
Springs discharge
from GW-basins
Partly estimated in the Springs assessment
GL
Loss to other basins/ Was not possible to estimate in this project

aquifers
LS
Losses to the
Sea (point and/or
diffused)
Dom
72
Was not possible to estimate for individual basins; however the total
expected volume was estimated from literature.
DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS
DRY
WET YEAR
YEAR
2011/12
2010/11
S. BaroukNiha Jurassic
Table 6-12 Data sources of the various components of the preliminary Groundwater budget (GW-budget)
ABBREVIATION
BUDGET MCM
(BUDGET / AREA mm)
BatorunJounie
Cretaceous
73.9
(547)
140.9
(462)
262.3
(860)
18
North
Lebanon
Cretaceous
19a
NaqouraSarafand
Cretaceous
118
(241)
255.6
(522)
19b
SarafandKhaldi
Cretaceous
108.4
(344)
221.3
(702)
-157.1
(-427)
-1.4
(-4)

Losses to the sea in the form of diffused and points discharges.
Lateral exchange (gain or losses) between this basin and North Lebanon Cretaceous Basin is
not well defined.
Exposed to salt water intrusion.


Possible lateral exchange (gains or losses) between this basin and Batorun-Jounie, BcharreDannieh and Qammoua Cretaceous Basins is not well defined.


Spring discharges not well measured and might be underestimate.
73
Table 6-13 Results and discussion of GW-basins of the Mediterranean Province (Contd)
GW
BASIN
NO.
22
GW BASIN
NAME
BALANCE /
DEFICIENCY IN
BUDGET/AREA
mm
Table 6-14 Results and discussion of GW-basin of the Interior Province
GW BASIN
NO.
DRY
WET
11-OCT 12-NOV
HadathHazmieh
Cretaceous
-7.2
(-544)
-3.9
(-291)
27a
Jezzine
Sandstone
Cretaceous
11.7
(143)
27.8
(341)
Possible percolation to deeper parts of the aquifer/Basin especially in coastal areas.

27b
Metn-Chouf
Sandstone
Cretaceous
42.5
(214)
75.1
(378)
24a
NabatiyeBent Jbeil
Eocene
43.1
(145)
87.4
(294)

24b
SourSarafand
Eocene
-8.2
(-41)
13.6
(68)

Possible losses to the sea in the form of diffused and points discharges
23a
Ashrafieh
Miocene
-0.5
(-174)
-0.2
(-86)
Negative budget might be due to loss of infiltration because of high rate of urbanization and
possible overexploitation.
23b
Jounieh
Miocene
-0.2
(-26)
0.5
(59)
23c
Hamat
Miocene
23d
Koura
Miocene
26.2
(168)
50.6
(325)
29
Jabal Terbol
Miocene
0.8
(163)
1.5
(293)
1.9
(167)
3.6
(317)
DRY
11-OCT
E. Barouk-Niha
Jurassic
Jdita Jurassic
15.7
(170)
3.3
(382)
55.8
(603)
Possible percolation to deeper parts of the aquifer/

Basin.
Spring discharges not well measured and might be
underestimated.
Number of private wells is not well defined and the
extraction rates from private and public wells is not
well defined.
Possible lateral loss to W. Barouk-Niha Jurassic Basin.
6.4
(751)

Basin.
underestimated.
well defined.
Possible lateral losses to E. Barouk-Niha Jurassic
Basin and Kesrouan Basin.
Hermon
Jurassic
241.2
(535)
454.8
(1008)

Basin.
underestimated.
well defined.
Serghaya
Jurassic
8.4
(327)
16.8
(649)
Possible lateral losses to areas outside Lebanon.

26a
Beirut
NeogeneQuaternary
-38.4
(-648)
-34.6
(-584)

26b
Tripoli
NeogeneQuaternary
-5.3
(-288)
-3.9
(-212)
26c
Akkar
NeogeneQuaternary
-8.1
(-79)
-1.5
(-15)
Negative budget might be due to loss of infiltration because of high rate of urbanization and
possible overexploitation.
26
General
NeogeneQuaternary
-35.6
(-251)
-27.9
(-197)
28
Unproductive
(AptianAlbian
sequence)
-13.2
(-77)
-4.4
(-26)
30,31
Unproductive
74.1
(53)
148.2
(106)
WET
12-NOV
1a
74
GW BASIN
NAME
BALANCE / DEFICIENCY IN
BUDGET/AREA
mm
Qaraoun
Cretaceous
21.5
(363)
46.1
(779)

Basin.
underestimated.
well defined.
Possible lateral losses to S. Bekaa Eocene, E. Bekaa
Jurassic and Southern Bekaa Neogene-Quaternary
Basins.
3a
E. Kniesseh
Cretaceous
-0.8
(-134)
1.9
-313
Possible lateral loss to W. Kniesseh Cretaceous Basin.

underestimated.
939.5
(833)

Basin.
underestimated.
well defined.
Possible lateral loss to northern Bekaa NeogeneQuaternary Basins
Mount
Lebanon-Bekaa
Cretaceous
495.7
(439)
75
Table 6-14 Results and discussion of GW-basin of the Interior Province (Contd)
7a
S. AntiLebanon
Cretaceous
11.6
(111)
56.7
(544)

Basin.
underestimated.
7b
C. AntiLebanon
Cretaceous
5.6
(22)
43.5
(172)

extraction rates from private and public wells is not well
defined.
7c
N. AntiLebanon
Cretaceous
199.1
(297)
313.2
(467)
7d
76
GW BASIN
NAME
Figeh
Cretaceous
S. Bekaa
Eocene
DRY
11-OCT
WET
12-NOV
50
(744)
53.2
(792)
Possible lateral losses to northern Bekaa NeogeneQuaternary Basins and basins outside Lebanon.
76.3
(428)

underestimate.
well defined.
Possible losses to deeper parts of the aquifer.
Possible lateral losses to northern Barouk-Niha
Jurassic Basins and basins outside Lebanon.
19.2
(108)
10
E. Bekaa
Eocene
4.8
(39)
23.4
(190)

underestimate.
well defined.
Possible losses to deeper parts of the aquifer.
W. Bekaa
Eocene
-2.1
(-96)
-0.5
(-22)
Negative budget might be due to possible

overexploitation.
11a
S. Bekaa
NeogeneQuaternary
-45.7
(-84)
-25.3
(-47)

underestimated.
well defined.
Possible losses underlying aquifers.
11b
N. Bekaa
NeogeneQuaternary
-34.2
(-50)
-4.7
(-7)
Negative budget might be due to loss of infiltration

because of urbanization and possible overexploitation.
11c
El Marj
NeogeneQuaternary
0.8
(45)
2
(111)

Basin.
underestimated.
well defined.
Possible lateral losses to deeper aquifers
12
Unproductive
Senonian-L
Eocene
-14.7
(-62)
-1.5
(-6)
Figure 6-20 Stressed aquifers / GWB
GW BASIN
NO.
BALANCE / DEFICIENCY IN
BUDGET/AREA
mm
Table 6-15 Preliminary GW budget of Lebanon
SHEET
DRY
11-OCT
NAMES/DESCRIPTION
WET
12-NOV
EXPLANATION
MCM
RECHARGE
I
Infiltration
RF
Return Flow
GA
Addition from other basins/

aquifers
4116
6651
Values obtained from the Hydrology Chapter

Return Flow from Domestic, Irrigation and Losses
in the Network
612
ND
ND
Not Defined
DISCHARGE
Dom
Domestic, Industrial and

Touristic Usage
818
Values obtained from Domestic, Industrial and

Touristic Water Consumption
Irr
Volume of Irrigation Usage
728
Values obtained from Irrigation Water Consumption
SD
Natural Springs Discharge
1042
Values obtained from Springs Chapter
GL
Losses to other basins/aquifers
ND
ND
Not Defined
DP
Deep percolation
ND
ND
Not Defined
LS
Losses to the Sea
600-1000
From FAO (1973)
BALANCE / DEFICIENCY IN BUDGET
Balance / Deficiency in Budget
2140
4675
Which includes LS, DP, GL, & St for they are not
estimated and con not be extracted from the values
obtained.
Care should be considered when using those
values.
Table 6-16 Comparison of water balance estimations
DESCRIPTION
Precipitation (MCM)
UNDP 2013
UNDP
(1970)
DRY 10-11
WET 11-12
9,700
7,830
11,933
Evapotranspiration (MCM)
ND
2,110
2,022b
Deficiency in Runoff (MCM)
5,400
ND
ND
Surface Runoff (MCM)
1,300
2,150
3,806
Estimated Total inflow to Groundwater (MCM)
3,000
3,570c
6,105c
According to an estimated surface area of Lebanon of 10,200 km2

Values extracted from Table in hydrological model, (part of the project deliverables to MoEW)
c
Values extracted from Table in hydrological model, (part of the project deliverables to MoEW), which includes return flows from various sources
ND: Not Defined
a
79
7. PRELIMINARY
ASSESSMENT OF
ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE
Deliverable 10 presents an assessment of
the potential areas for artificial recharge in the
different GW-basins of Lebanon. The main
purpose for artificial recharge is to replenish some
the stressed aquifers of Lebanon and combat salt
water in the coastal aquifers. The main sources for
artificial recharge are natural sources (rivers and
springs) and treated wastewater effluent. In total,
22 natural sources (Table 7-1 and Table 7-2)) and
ten (10) wastewater treatment plants (Table 7-3
and Table 7-4) were selected as potential sources
for artificial recharge in Lebanon covering over
12 GW-basins. The GW-basins were selected
according to the following criteria: 1) basins
that are under stress from depletion or saltwater
intrusion; 2) basins that have the capacity to store
the recharged water; and 3) areas where depth
to groundwater is relatively deep to account for
the potential mound (i.e. Groundwater level
rise) during recharge that may reach the surface.
Locations of the potential sites are presented on
Figure 7-1 and Figure 7-2).
In areas were the recharge is from natural
sources (rivers and springs), the aquifer recharge
will span over a four (4) to five (5) month
period in the wet season (starting in November/
December) when there is sufficient surplus
of water to be used as a source. The recharge
quantities to be extracted from the source are
proposed to be between 5% and 10% of the
average flow during the extraction period. The
total estimated volume of recharged water from
the natural sources is between 104 and 208
MCM/year.
The artificial recharge activities from the
wastewater treatment plants were proposed
to use most of the treated wastewater effluent.
From the ten (10) selected sites, the estimated
amount of recharged water is between 103 and
80
118 MCM/year.
In this preliminary assessment and site
identification, the proposed technique for
recharge is gravity injection mainly through
wells. This method, which is considered the most
suitable for recharge into karstic aquifer, was
proposed for cost efficiency and environmental
considerations. Given that large surface areas of
land are not need, the injection wells can most
likely be installed in public property.
A feasibility study should be conducted
for each candidate site. The feasibility study
should include a detailed hydrogeological study
to assess the exact characteristics of the aquifer,
the residence time, the exact volume to be
recharged, the method of extracting water from
the source, the mitigating measures for reducing
turbidity of the recharge water, the compatibility
between the quality of the recharged water and
the groundwater, the blending conditions, the
recharge techniques, the depth and the zone of
injection (saturated/unsaturated), as well as the
number of recharge units.
From the ten (10) selected sites, the estimated
amount of recharged water is between 103 and
118 MCM/year.
In this preliminary assessment and site
identification, the proposed technique for
recharge is gravity injection mainly through
wells. This method which is considered the most
suitable for recharge into karstic aquifer was
proposed for cost efficiency and environmental
considerations. The injection wells can most
likely be installed in public property, given the
limited requirements of land.
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF
THE MONITORING NETWORK
The groundwater assessment revealed
numerous deficiencies in the existing monitoring
systems of the country.
The proposed
Table 7-1 Proposed candidate sites utilizing surface water as a source for recharge
GW BASIN
CODE
WATER
SOURCE
DEPTH TO
GROUNDWATER
(m BG)
DISTANCE
BETWEEN
INJECTION
POINT AND
EXIST POINT
DISTANCE
BETWEEN
WATER
SOURCE AND
INJECTION
POINT
STRESSED
AQUIFER
(km)
(km)
Type
N-A1
Abou Ali
River
200-400
26 - 27
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A2
Al Jaouz
River
100-200
20 - 21
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A3
Beirut River
100 - 300
11 - 12
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A4
Al Jaouz
River
200-250
8.5 - 10
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A5
Abou Ali
River
200-250
14 - 16
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A6
Abou Ali
River
300-350
16.8 - 18
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A7
El Bared
River
150-250
19 - 23
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A8
Madfoun
River
200-300
11.5 - 12
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A9
Ibrahim
River
40-60
3.5 - 5
<0.05
Salt W. In.
Mount
Lebanon-Bekaa
Cretaceous
Basin (3)
N-A10
Berdouni
River
120
26 - 28
<0.05
Depletion
Central
Anti-Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (7b)
N-A11
Hala River
200-400
15 - 20
<0.05
Depletion
Hadath-Hazmeih
Cretaceous
Basin (22)
N-A12
Daychounieh
spring
(Beirut
Canal)
100 - 300
5-6
6-May
Salt W. In.
N-A13
Awali River
300-400
10 - 12
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A14
Damour
River
250-350
4-6
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A15
Ghadir River
70-100
4-6
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A16
Litani River
100-150
14 - 17
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A17
Zahrani
River
300-400
20 - 23
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A18
Abo
Assouad
River
100-200
3-4
<0.05
Salt W. In.
Southern Bekaa
Eocene Basin
(4)
N-A19
Litani River
200-350
12 - 14
<0.05
Depletion
Eastern Bekaa
Eocene Basin
(10)
N-A20
Litani River
200-300
23 - 26
6-May
Depletion
N-A21
Barsa River
120 - 130
4-6
<0.05
Salt W. In.
N-A22
Abo Ali
River
120 - 130
4-6
<0.05
Salt W. In.
Kesrouan
Jurassic Basin
(16)
North Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (18)
Batroun Jounieh
Cretaceous
Basin (21)
Sarafand-Khaldi
Cretaceous
Basin (19b)
NaqouraSarafand
Cretaceous
Basin (19a)
Koura Miocene
Basin (23d)
81
Table 7-3 Proposed candidate sites utilizing treated effluent water as a source for recharge
CODE
WATER
SOURCE
RIVER DISCHARGE 2011-2012 CYCLE
AVAILABLE VOLUME
FOR RECHARGE
Min (m3/s)
Max (m3/s)
Winter Av.
(m3/s)
MCM/Year
N-A1
Abou Ali
River
0.54
19.51
12.14
2.4 - 4.8
N-A2
Al Jaouz
River
10.68
5.88
1.5 - 3.0
N-A3
Beirut River
0.05
24.8
5.68
2.9 - 5.9
N-A4
Al Jaouz
River
10.68
5.88
1.5-3.0
N-A5
Abou Ali
River
0.54
19.51
12.14
2.4-4.8
N-A6
Abou Ali
River
0.54
19.51
12.14
2.4-4.8
N-A7
El Bared River
0.39
12.37
4.1-8.3
N-A8
Madfoun
River
0.1
20
14
7.3-14.5
N-A9
Ibrahim River
0.3
63.9
26.9
13.9-27.9
Mount
LebanonBekaa
Cretaceous
Basin (3)
N-A10
Berdouni
River
0.1
66.1
3.3
1.7-3.4
Central
Anti-Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (7b)
N-A11
Hala River
0.1
4.56
1.2
0.6-1.2
HadathHazmeih
Cretaceous
Basin (22)
N-A12
Daychounieh
spring (Beirut
Canal)
N-A13
Awali River
N-A14
Kesrouan
Jurassic Basin
(16)
North Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (18)
Batroun
Jounieh
Cretaceous
Basin (21)
SarafandKhaldi
Cretaceous
Basin (19b)
NaqouraSarafand
Cretaceous
Basin (19a)
Southern
Bekaa Eocene
Basin (4)
Eastern Bekaa
Eocene Basin
(10)
Koura
Miocene Basin
(23d)
Total
228
1.8-3.5
14.53
84.7
39.12
20.3-40.6
Damour River
68.9
17.47
9.1-18.1
N-A15
Ghadir River
0.02
1.65
0.83
0.4-0.9
N-A16
Litani River
0.15
55.9
20.9
10.8-21.7
N-A17
Zahrani River
0.09
4.04
2.3
1.2-2.4
N-A18
Abo Assouad
River
N-A19
Litani River
1.6-3.1
0.15
35.7
18.13
4.7-9.4
N-A20
Litani River
0.15
35.7
18.13
4.7-9.4
N-A21
Barsa River
0.83
19.5
12.17
6.3-12.6
N-A22
Abo Ali River
0.54
19.51
12.14
2.4-4.8
104-208
DISTANCE
BETWEEN
WATER SOURCE
AND INJECTION
POINT
(km)
STRESSED
AQUIFER
TYPE
CODE
North Lebanon Cretaceous

Basin (Basin 18)
W-A1
Chekka
10 - 35
1.2-1.4
2-3
Salt W. In.
Batroun Jounieh
Cretaceous Basin (Basin
21)
W-A2
Jbeil
10 - 30
0.2-0.6
0.1 - 0.5
Salt W. In.
W-A3
Tabarja
10 - 30
0.8-1.2
0.2 - 0.5
Salt W. In.
W-A4
Ghadir
40
1.7-3.8
2-4
Salt W. In.
W-A5
Jeyyeh
10 - 20
0.5-2
0.1 - 0.5
Salt W. In.
W-A6
Saida
16.06
5.3-5.6
Salt W. In.
W-A7
Nabatiye
20-30
15-16
0.1 - 0.5
Salt W. In.
W-A8
Joub Jannine
20-32
5.3 - 5.6
0.1 - 0.5
Depletion
W-A9
Aanjar
40-50
15 - 16
0.1 - 0.5
Depletion
W-A10
Zahle
20-30
9 - 12
0.1 - 0.5
Depletion
Sarafand-Khaldi Cretaceous
Basin (Basin 19b)
Naqoura-Sarafand
Cretaceous Basin (Basin
19a)
Eastern Bekaa Eocene
Basin (Basin 10)
Southern Bekaa Neogene/
Quaternary Basin (Basin
11a)
Table 7-4 Selected waste water treatment plants where effluent would be used for artificial recharge
PROPOSED GW
BASIN TO BE
RECHARGED
North Lebanon
Cretaceous Basin
(Basin 18)
Batroun Jounieh
Cretaceous Basin
(Basin 21)
CODE
WASTE
WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
ESTIMATED OR
ANTICIPATED
EFFLUENT
CAPACITY
(m3/day)
AVAILABLE
VOLUME FOR
RECHARGE
(MCM/Year)
W-A1
Chekka
2,100
0.5 - 0.6
Secondary treatment.
Completed but
W-A2
Jbeil
4,600
1.2 - 1.3
Completed but
W-A3
Tabarja
70,000
17.9 - 20.4
REMARKS
not yet in operation

not yet in operation
Secondary Treatment (Conventional T.

Not Constructed Yet. Construction is
anticipated to begin in 2014
Sarafand-Khaldi
Cretaceous Basin
(Basin 19b)
Naqoura-Sarafand
Cretaceous Basin
(Basin 19a)
Eastern Bekaa
Eocene Basin (Basin
10)
Southern Bekaa
Neogene/Quaternary
Basin (Basin 11a)
Total
82
DISTANCE
BETWEEN
INJECTION
POINT AND
EXIST POINT
(km)
GW BASIN
Table 7-2 Estimated ranges of volumes of water available for recharge in each candidate sites utilizing a surface water source
PROPOSED
GW BASIN
TO BE
RECHARGED
DEPTH TO
GROUNDWATER
(m BG)
WASTE
WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT
W-A4
Ghadir
138,000
35.3 - 40.3
W-A5
Jeyyeh
12,000
3.1 -3.5
W-A6
Saida
55,000
14.1 - 16.1
W-A7
Nabatiye
12,000
3.1 - 3.5
W-A8
Joub Jannine
14,000
3.6 - 4.1
W-A9
Aanjar
50,000
12.8 - 14.6
W-A10
Zahle
45,000
11.5 -13.1
Not
constructed yet. Feasibility Study
completed. Construction is not
anticipated to begin before 2015
Completed for
first phase capacity of 6000 m3/day.
Not yet in operation
Design for secondary Treatment.
Presently, it is only primary treatment
Tertiary Treatment (only with
disinfection and no filtration). In

operation
Tertiary treatment (only with
disinfection and filtration). In

operation
Tertiary treatment. Not yet

Constructed
Tertiary treatment (disinfection and

filtration). In Construction for first
phase of 18,000 m3/day capacity
103 - 118
83
Table 7-5 Volumes of potentially recharged water in each GW-basin compared to infiltrated volume
VOLUME OF POTENTIAL
RECHARGE (MCM/YEAR)
GW-BASIN
TOTAL
VOLUME OF
POTENTIAL
RECHARGE
(MCM)
% OF ARTIFICIAL
RECHARGE
TO NATURAL
RECHARGE
% OF
ARTIFICIAL
RECHARGE
TO NATURAL
RECHARGE
(2010-2011)*
(2011-2012)*
NATURAL
SOURCES
WASTEWATER
EFFLUENT
Kesrouan
Jurassic Basin
(Basin 16)
6.9 - 13.7
6.9 - 13.7
1.7-3.4
1.1 - 2.25
North Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
18)
10.5 - 20.9
0.5 - 0.6
11 - 21.5
4.1 - 8.1
2.6 - 5.1
Batroun
Jounieh
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
21)
21.2 - 42.4
19.1 - 21.7
40.3 - 64.1
24.5 - 39.1
14.1 - 22.4
Mount
LebanonBekaa
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
3)
1.7 - 3.4
1.7 - 3.4
0.2-0.4
0.1-0.27
Central
Anti-Lebanon
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
7b)
0.6 - 1.2
0.6 - 1.2
0.5 - 1
0.3 - 0.78
HadathHazmeih
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
22)
1.8 - 3.5
1.8 - 3.5
23.6-46
16.3-31
SarafandKhaldi
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
19b)
29.8 - 59.5
52.5 - 59.9
82.3 - 119.4
52.5 - 76.1
27.7 - 40.2
NaqouraSarafand
Cretaceous
Basin (Basin
19a)
13.6 - 27.2
3.1-3.5
16.7 - 30.7
7.1 - 13.1
4.5 - 8.2
Eastern Bekaa
Eocene Basin
(Basin 10)
4.7 - 9.4
16.4 - 18.7
21.1 - 28.1
32 - 43
25 - 33
Southern
Bekaa Eocene
Basin (Basin
4)
4.7 - 9.4
4.7 - 9.4
5.6-11.3
3.3-6.7
Koura
Miocene Basin
(Basin 23d)
8.7 - 17.4
8.7 - 17.4
20-40
12.7-25.5
Southern
Bekaa
Neogene /
Quaternary
Basin (Basin
11a)
Total
104 - 208
11.5 - 13.1
103 - 118
11.5 - 13.1
207 -326
13.7 - 15.6
8.1 - 9.2
* The volume of natural recharge was obtained (total recharges) from the hydrology and budget and safe yield report and calculations are shown in table in
Appendix XI.
84
interventions presented below aim at improving

the existing water resources monitoring system
in Lebanon. An upgrade is needed to better
quantify available resources a necessity for the
sustainable management of water resources in
Lebanon.
8.1 GROUNDWATER
MONITORING
RECOMMENDATIONS
Lebanon is one of the few countries in the
world that does not have a network of monitoring
wells. The only dedicated monitoring wells are
13 wells installed in the Upper Litani River basin.
It is therefore necessary to install dedicated
monitoring wells in a phased approach, focusing
on the stressed aquifers, then expanding over the
rest of the country.
Moreover, it is necessary to monitor the
quantity of groundwater that is being extracted
from both public and private wells. In theory,
all the public wells should be equipped with
continuous recording devices to monitor
groundwater extraction volumes and to measure
the groundwater levels.
In addition, better control of the estimated
55,000 to 60,000 unlicensed wells is required.
These wells will eventually need to be properly
surveyed. Ultimately, on the long term, a
control/monitoring system should be established
to compel the owners of the private wells to install
discharge flow monitoring devices on their wells
and to report the groundwater extraction volumes
to the regulatory agency on a regular basis. This
would however require a complete revision of
the regulation pertaining to well drilling permits,
and groundwater extraction permits procedures
and requirements. In drafting these regulations,
the current context should be taken into account,
especially the limited alternative options available
to the private sector given the current limitation
of the various water establishments in meeting
water supply demands.
In light of these findings the following

intervention would be recommended:
Establishing a Dedicated Monitoring Well
Network: The initial phase would consist of
installing about 60 dedicated monitoring wells
with a focus on the stressed aquifers. These
wells should be equipped with continuous
monitoring devices to measure the groundwater
levels and in some cases, with conductivity
sensors in areas that are prone to seawater
intrusion. This activity should be carried by the
MoEW.
Monitoring of the Public Water Supply Wells:
Out of the 842 public water supply wells,
groundwater monitoring devices. It is proposed
that water establishments equip all their wells
with a discharge flow control monitoring system
and continuous groundwater-level monitoring
devices. Monitoring devices for those wells
located in areas prone to sea water intrusion
(about 250 wells), should include a conductivity
sensor.
Developing a Database for each of the Water
Establishments: It is proposed that each water
establishment maintains its own monitoring
database. This would require the development
of a formal data collection system with a quality
assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program
for uploading the data into the database. A
proper procedure should be established for the
regular reporting of information/data in digital
format from the database of the various water
establishments to that of the MoEW.
Surveying the Unlicensed Private Wells: It
is recommended to conduct a comprehensive
survey of the unlicensed private wells and to
complete the survey of private wells that have
exploitation permits. Survey results can then
be integrated into the existing well database
that was constructed as part of this project.
Due to the extensive number of wells, and the
tedious investigative nature of the work, it would
take approximately one (1) to two (2) years to
complete.
8.2 RIVER MONITORING

RECOMMENDATIONS

The LRA is responsible for the gauging of all
the surface water courses and the major springs
of the country. There are many significant
85
deficiencies in the existing network due to the

limited resources (financial and human resources)
within the LRA. About one third of the area
of Lebanon is not yet covered by hydrological
observation system. Additionally, some of the
existing stations need to be relocated, and
rehabilitated to allow for accurate and reliable
measurements.
The existing network of river gauging and
spring discharge flow monitoring will have to
be rehabilitated and expanded to ensure proper
coverage of the entire territory. The following
interventions are proposed:
Preparing a Detailed Plan for the Rehabilitation
and Expansion of the Existing Network: This
would include: 1) inspecting of all the gauging
stations; 2) providing recommendations
for locations of new gauging stations, and
modification of existing ones if necessary; 3)
preparing technical specification and guidelines
for the installation of the various types of gauging
stations to be installed; and 4) preparing an
operational and maintenance manual to ensure
the continuous acquisition of reliable data.
Implementation of the Plan for the
Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Existing
Network: Preliminary assessments reveal that the
minimum total number of proposed new stations
needed is about 26.
Updating and Improving the Existing Database
at LRA: This would include incorporating all the
existing data that is currently being gathered
manually into the database and establishing a
quality assurance control / quality assurance
system.
8.3 SPRING MONITORING

RECOMMENDATIONS
Most of the major springs of Lebanon are
not being monitored. Only nine (9) major
springs are being monitored by the LRA. These
measurements are not truly representative of the
total flow of the springs given that the extracted/
exploited volumes at the spring sources are usually
not accounted for. The following interventions
are proposed:
Conducting a Nationwide Spring Survey:

Field proofing of the 5,050 springs identified in
the topographic map will have to be done. For
each spring, the exact geographical coordinates
should be taken, along with picture. The
emergence mechanism should also be described.
Approximate discharge flow rates should be
measured and spring usage identified. Particular
focus should be made on the 409 main springs
that were identified in this study. This activity
should be conducted by MoEW.
Preparing a Master Plan for the Monitoring
of the Major Springs in the Country: The master
plan should include the identification of the major
springs that would require continuous monitoring,
and those that should be measured on periodical
bases. It should also include technical
specifications and guidelines for the installation of
the gauging stations, including site preparations/
civil construction work (if any), and QA/QC
procedure for data collection and data validation.
This activity should be carried out by the MoEW,
in collaboration with the LRA.
8.4 METEOROLOGICAL
NETWORK RECOMMENDATIONS
The Lebanese National Meteorological
Service (LNMS) is responsible for establishing,
operating and maintaining the national
meteorological network of the country. The
meteorological network that was initially
established was destroyed during the Civil War.
Starting in the mid 1990s, the LNMS has reinitiated its climatic monitoring activities.
There is major shortcoming in the current
meteorological network with respect to data
quality and network coverage. The existing
stations do not adequately cover all the Lebanese
territories. Additionally, another major limitation
of the existing network and the past network that
was destroyed during the civil work is the lack
of stations capable of collecting information on
snow.

Thus, there is a need to improve the quality
of data acquisition, data reduction, and data
reporting, and to improve national network
coverage over all the country. The proposed
interventions presented below should be carried

by the LNMS.
Preparing a Master Plan for the Improvement
of the Existing Meteorological Network: The
number of stations required and their respective
locations should be determined following
international criteria taking into account the
different microclimates and the hypsometry of the
Lebanese territory. Generally, two (2) climatic
stations are required for every 200 km2. The
master plan should include: 1) an assessment
of existing station and the identification of
the location of proposed new stations; 2) the
preparation of technical specifications for the
installation of the equipment (required civil work
and instruments; and 3) Develop quality control /
quality assurances (QA/QC) procedures for data
acquisition, data reductions and data reporting,
as wells calibration requirements.
Installing the New Meteorological Stations:
Based on a preliminary assessment, the total
number of required new stations is 89 of which
20 are snow stations.
Recovering and Processing the Historical Data:
Based on the review of the hydrometrical data,
historical data collected before 1975 have not
been integrated into the existing database: This
intervention would mainly consist of digitizing
data collected before 1975; and integrating those
into the existing database.
8.5 LEGAL AND

INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
STUDY

The legal and institutional framework of the
government services involved in the monitoring
(groundwater, surface water, and meteorology)
will have to be revised and their resources will
have to be strengthened in order to allow these
government services to properly accomplish their
assigned mission. The study should include:
Conducting a gap assessment on the existing
institutional and legal framework work, of the
government organisations/services involved in the
specific monitoring;
Proposing a road-map and drafting legislative
texts to re-define missions and mandates,
avoid overlaps and clarify attributed roles and
responsibilities;
Adjusting organizational structures, assessing

staff requirements, defining and developing
individual job descriptions and performance
requirements for each staff category;
Developing coordination procedures between
the various stakeholders;
Identifying training programs to strengthen the
capacity of the organisations/services;
Defining procedures for data dissemination and
access control;
Revising or developing procedures for the
control of water extractions, such as drilling
permits, groundwater extraction permits, and
surface water allocation permits; and
Preparing annual cost estimates for the operation
and maintenance of the monitoring systems.
88
Figure 7-1 Location of the proposed areas for artificial recharge from natural sources and from wastewater effluent overlaid over the GW-basins
Copyright 2014
All rights reserved for MoEW and UNDP
Figure 7-2 Location of the proposed areas for artificial recharge from natural sources and from wastewater effluent overlaid over the GW-basins under stress

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Assessment of Groundwater Resources of Lebanon

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Assessment of

Issam Bou Jaoude and Rena Karanouh

Design and layout Rena

Printed and bound in Lebanon by

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

map that provides a good description and

such as gauging data, studies, reports, and

A summary of the main findings pertaining

studies conducted. For additional details and

more than 50% of the countrys surface area).

Figure 1 Map showing the updated GW-basins

Table 1 Number of springs in each class

more than 10 m3/s

(Less than 10 cm3/s)

Exposure (HKE), Moderate Karst Exposure

artesian, or a combination of two of these flow

taken into account in the UNDP 1970 study

basins show almost similar groundwater levels as

reliable data, such as data related to groundwater

to mitigate seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers

Figure 2 Map showing the stressed aquifers

during the wet season. The recharge quantities

tedious investigative nature of the work, it would

Preparing a Master Plan for the Monitoring

Implementation of the Plan for the

preparation of technical specifications for the

Developing coordination procedures between

Legal and Institutional

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... VIII

8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE MONITORING NETWORK........... 80

The Chamsine spring

Figure 1 Map showing the updated GW-basins...............................................................................X

Table 1 Number of springs in each class............................................................................................XI

Karst features in the Jaj plateau

Balloua Baatara sinking stream in Tannourine

There is a common misconception that

resources were being depleted. It provided

1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY